


BLAMELESS

by Onlylookatcub



Category: 2yeon - Fandom, Dubchaeng - Fandom, JeongMi - Fandom, MiChaeng - Fandom, SaiDa - Fandom, TWICE (Band), satzu - Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 04:46:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 186,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21870280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onlylookatcub/pseuds/Onlylookatcub
Summary: Incoming freshman Son Chaeyoung, finds herself stuck with three crackheads as her dormmates. Just as she’s about to find a new place to stay, Myoui Sharon arrives.Did I mention Chaeyoung is a Closeted Bisexual? No? Well then, she is.
Relationships: Chaeyoung/Mina, Dahyun/Chaeyoung, Dahyun/Sana, Mina/Jeongyeon, Nayeon/Jeongyeon, SANA/Tzuyu
Comments: 204
Kudos: 523





	1. Moving Day

The place looked exactly like how she remembered it. Well, it has only been two months since she visited the place with her Family. Her family which included both her parents and her brother. Everyone was there to accompany her for the next chapter in her life. They’ve always been there for her, through thick and thin. She couldn’t be any luckier. 

Two months have now passed since the dormitory visit. Before walking past the gate, the girl stood her ground. She inhaled all the fresh air she needed and smirked before exhaling. She couldn’t believe it. Here she was, starting a new chapter in her life.

_This is it. I hope I don’t die doing something dumb or whatever._

The girl walked past through the unlocked gate. Her right hand clutching the suitcase that contained her belongings. There wasn’t anything much that she brought with her. She only brought what she really needed. The place had a small yard upfront which gave a good distance between the main gate and the front door. She then marched herself across the yard towards the stairs. 

“Noona, wait up! What do you think you’re doing?”

The girl was startled but then regained her composure. She then turned her gaze to the boy beside her.

“What?” The girl asked. 

The boy, due to his sister’s nonchalance, rolled his eyes in frustration and grabbed his sister’s luggage. He then proceeded to carry his sister’s luggage up the stairs where the front door awaits. He placed the suitcase down and faced his sister who’s now beside her.

“Noona, you shouldn’t be carrying heavy things! Carrying heavy things will stunt your growth even more.” The boy teases.

“Hey, you brat! What’s up with you teasing my height? You’re not much taller than me, Jeonghoon-ah.” 

“Noona, I’m a man. The chances of me still growing taller is relatively higher. How’s your chance so far?” Jeonghoon boasts. 

“A man? You’re totally far from being a man.” The girl teases. Jeonghoon looks at the girl blankly.

“You’re far from being tall too, 159 cm.” The boy smiles. The girl couldn’t believe what she just heard. This caused her to flick her younger brother’s nose.

“What?? So what? Be careful with whatever you say. I’m ready to throw my hands, Hoon-ah.” 

Jeonghoon smiled as he Shrugged. He looked at her sister and both of them became quiet. 

“Noona…” The boy trails off as he looked around. “Please don’t do something dumb while you stay here.” Says Jeonghoon jokingly, he’s trying to make the situation lighter. 

“Hoon-ah, don’t give mom and dad headaches. Okay? I won’t be there to cover up for your mistakes.” The girl smiled. The boy, Jeonghoon, just nods. 

“Study well. This year is going to be crucial for you. You’re a senior now, so you must study well so that you’ll be able to enter the University that you like. Okay? ” Adds the girl. 

“What if I don’t make it?”

“What if you do? Don’t lean on to the negative things. Just please, study well. Just pretend that this year, your only goal is to pass the entrance exams. You’d do it for us, won’t you?”

Jeonghoon does not answer. He was only staring at the floor. 

“Hey, cheer up. Next year, if you’re lucky you might get to move out of the house and do as you please.” The girl coerces. 

Jeonghoon lifts his head up. His eyes filled with excitement.

“Seriously?? If that’s the case, I’ll be sure to study hard then!”

Both of them laugh, maybe it’s because they both know that freedom is something that runs through both their veins. They’re siblings after all. 

“Goodness, please be good while I’m away. ” The girl tells him as she ruffles his hair.

“Well, you too. I hope you enjoy your time here. ” The boy smiles at his sister genuinely. 

Suddenly, Jeonghoon’s phone buzzes. He quickly glances at the screen and his eyes widen.

“Noona, I have to go! The subway home leaves in 10 minutes. ” The boy sounded urgent.

“Well, you better get going then!” 

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?” 

“I’ll be fine here, seriously. Go now, Hoon-ah. You don’t want to miss the subway home.”

The boy nods and hugs his sister before running towards the gate like a racing horse. The girl chuckles. What a brat, she wishes he’d truly keep his promise. The girl turns her attention to the front door. She knocks on the door hoping that someone would open the doorway for her. However, no one answered the door.

_This is Weird._

She then decides to reach for the door knob and to her surprise, it was unlocked. 

_Huh. Maybe someone’s already here._

As she opened the door, she was greeted by the living room. The empty living room, to be exact. The girl looked around and realized that the place was enough for a lot of people to live in. She felt quite contented with how wide the place is. The living room would instantly greet you when you enter through the front door. The girl then proceeded to go inside and is now able to see the place better. Just after the living room was the Kitchen, there is also a small dining space with chairs. Five chairs to be exact. 

_Huh. Five chairs? So I’ll be cohabitating with 4 other people._

The girl turned to her right and saw a room with its door plastered with bond paper, with a printed name on it. The girl became curious and came closer to the door.

IM NAYEON

_Nayeon? Im Nayeon. That must be another tenant. Wow, sounds like she’s younger than me. It would be nice to have someone younger around here. I can’t wait to boss her around._

The girl, still clutching her luggage's handle started to search for her own room. It was 4 pm and the girl admits that she is a little tired from traveling. 

"Where could everyone be?" The girl mumbled to herself.

Just as she turns her gaze to the next room, she sees another name. The room isn’t close enough for her to actually read the words. She marches towards the door and sees her name. Her eyes lighten up. Perfection, now she can rest for a little while, her University life starts tomorrow and it would be great if she could catch some z’s.

The girl reaches for the door knob and opens the door wide open, inside she sees her bed, desk , a mirror by a wall, and a closet. She shrugs, there wasn’t much inside the room. There was enough space for two people though. The walls were the color of cream and were visibly empty. The walls were, to be honest, a tad bit boring for her taste. She stares at her room with boredom. 

_I guess this will do?_

She enters the room and closes the door behind her. On the door, is the tenant’s name. It was printed on a piece of bond paper that’s delicately taped on the door.

SON CHAEYOUNG

The girl’s name is Son Chaeyoung. Right after she entered her room, she hurriedly changed her clothes, placed her remaining clothes inside the cabinet, and sat down on her bed. She looked around and realised how alone she is. She felt alone and to this, she sighed. 

She’s pretty sure that this chapter in her life wouldn’t be easy. Well, life is not easy to begin with. It’s like a journey that you’ve been tasked to do but without your consent. Life is tough but people have no choice but to live and not only exist. That is what Chaeyoung wants. She doesn't want to live life like it is nothing. 

Chaeyoung wants to live her life meaningfully. This may sound sappy. Saying things like this, it’s too serious. However, she wants to leave a mark. She wants to grasp things and enjoy things. She’s idealistic and the girl is not the type to settle down. 

Chaeyoung lays on her bed, she faces the ceiling. The empty cream colored ceiling was not much but it felt comforting. It felt calming, she took a deep breath and turned to her side grabbing the pillow beside her. She hugs the pillow for comfort and even though it’s only a quarter to 5 pm, Chaeyoung, the small girl of 159 cm (as she claims it) fell asleep without even noticing it. 

CHAEYOUNG’S POV

I wake up and feel a little groggy. 

Wait, did I sleep? I must have fallen asleep. Crap. What time is it? I hurriedly search for my handphone and click the home button. The bright light immediately disarms me. I slowly get out of my bed and walk slowly towards the light switch, turning it on not realizing that the light from the lightbulb would also disarm me.

“Ah, fuck.” I curse out of frustration. My eyes haven’t adjusted yet to the light so I walk back to my bed with my eyes closed. I sat on the bed’s edge and slowly opened my eyes. I don’t know why but for some reason I woke up with a little headache and my throat seems to have become dry. Am I coming down with something? I hope not. 

I look around and let my eyes adjust to the light. Wait, what time is it again? Should I be going to school now? I reach for my phone and press the home button. 

8 pm.

Oh, I thought it would be late but for some reason I miraculously woke up in time for dinner. Good job, Chaeng. You’re awesome. This makes me wonder though, are the other tenants here already? Because I do not want to eat alone, and well, I am currently starving.

I stand up and go to the mirror to check myself out. I seem okay, though. I don’t look bad. I ruffle my short hair a bit to create volume and get out of my room wearing nothing but comfortable clothes on. The moment I stepped outside of my room, I realized I wasn’t alone. 

“Oh, you’re awake already?” The girl with long hair greets me. I look at her blankly, not knowing how to respond. She was in the kitchen preparing something. I look at her some more and notice that she was waiting for me to respond. 

“Of course she’s awake, she would not be standing there if she’s asleep. Right ?” 

I let out a little ‘Ah!’ when I heard the second voice. I am thankful though since I did not jump out of shock. I look at the second girl who was facing the television. I couldn’t really see her face since her back was facing me. 

“Yah, Yoo Jeongyeon! Can’t you see you’re scaring the girl?”

“Yah, Im Nayeon! She’s probably scared of your face. She doesn’t even know you and you’re already greeting her so casually already.”

“Shouldn’t I greet her casually? We’ll be co-tenants here for a long time. I don’t see anything wrong with that.” The girl with long hair started to put all the food in a tray and started carrying the tray to the coffee table in front of the television. She placed the tray on the table. “And, I, for one, know that she wouldn’t be scared of my face because I am beautiful. Right, Chaeyoung-ssi?” 

I was dazed with their conversation for awhile that forgot I existed. I nodded at what the girl said and continuously stared at both of them. 

“Come join us, we have plenty.” The girl named Yoo Jeongyeon turned around and smiled at me. I was taken aback a little, she’s beautiful. I smile back and started to walk towards them. 

“Come sit here. ” The girl named Nayeon patted the space between Jeongyeon and her. I bowed and shook their hands before sitting down. 

“I only ordered takeouts because---” Nayeon was cut off.

“Because you can’t cook.” Jeongyeon interrupts while shoving tteokbokki in her mouth. She was still fixated on the television. Nayeon looked annoyed and just rolled her eyes.

“That’s one of the reasons but mainly because I expected that all my co-tenants would be showing up today.” I nodded at Nayeon and thanked her for the food.

“So does that mean you live here too?” I asked and turned my gaze to Jeongyeon who was eating her food joyfully. 

“Oh her? She doesn’t live here. She lives next door.” Replies Nayeon, she stares at Jeongyeon for a second and I see this disgusted look on her face. “She’s here whenever she’s hungry. I can’t seem to ward her off too!” Nayeon laughed and shoved another piece of sweet and sour pork in her mouth. 

All of a sudden we all hear the toilet flush this made me turn my head to where the sound was coming from. 

“Oh, don’t worry. That’s Tzuyu.” Nayeon looked at me and smiled.

“Tzuyu-ah! Come here and eat! Ppali! Food is getting cold!” That was Jeongyeon calling out for a girl named Tzuyu. I continued to eat while watching a show entitled “running man” on the television. All of a sudden ---

“Eonni--”

Jeongyeon almost jumped out of her seat. She almost splattered the tteokbokki sauce all over the sofa, good thing she’s not that clumsy.

“What the hell, Tzuyu-ah?! Are you a ghost or something?”

“Why?” The girl named Tzuyu asked, she almost looked bored.

This time I can hear Nayeon laugh hard. When I say hard, I mean HARD. She’s ugly laughing. I can’t help but laugh too, that’s when I noticed how fucking tall this Tzuyu girl is. She’s a fucking giant. 

“Make some noise when you walk or something. You’re totally acting like a ghost---” Jeongyeon said this while suppressing her laughter. “-- Sit beside me and eat like a proper human being.”

Tzuyu started to walk past me and sat beside Jeongyeon. 

“Thanks, Nayeon unnie. You really know how to order take outs.” Says Tzuyu, she sounded like a Robot with her tone, her eyes, they were deadpan.

The moment Jeongyeon heard this, she almost spat what she was eating. Both Jeongyeon and Tzuyu laughed like maniacs. Wow, I kind of feel bad for Nayeon now. However, she seems to be okay with them teasing her. 

“Anyway, you should introduce yourself.” This was Jeongyeon looking at me. I nodded and placed my chopsticks down. 

“My name is Son Chaeyoung and I’ll be a freshman starting tomorrow. I'm majoring in Fine arts.” I tell them with a smile. They all looked at me as if I was supposed to say something more. “What about you guys?” I asked them and smiled.

“I’m Chou Tzuyu. I arrived here yesterday and I’m also going to be a freshman starting tomorrow. It’s very nice to meet you, Chaeyoung!” She smiled and offered her hand for a handshake and holy shit, her limbs are freakishly long. This is kind of scary. We both bowed to each other and she continued to eat.

“I’m your pretty unnie, Im Nayeon. It’s very nice to meet you Chaeyoung-ah! I hope we make great memories together.”

_So she’s older? I can see that._

I turn my gaze towards Jeongyeon. I guess she’s also older than me.

“I’m Yoo Jeongyeon. I live next door, but don’t worry Chaeyoung-ssi because you’ll get to see lots of me since I like to hang out here.” 

I bowed to both my Unnies and shook both their hands. I then turned my attention back to the food.

“You just got here, right?” That was Tzuyu asking me.

I nodded.

“I’m sorry for not being here when you arrived earlier, Jeongyeon and me went out for some errands. I forgot to tell Tzuyu about the tenants.” That was Nayeon talking.

“Yeah, I actually heard you come in. I was in my room that time and just didn’t bother.” I just shrugged and realized how much Tzuyu doesn’t give a fuck. All of a sudden my thoughts became about the other tenants.

“Nayeon unnie, where are the others? Are there other tenants too?” I asked.

“Well, yeah. We’re still actually missing two more.” She replies.

“Well, that leaves us with a girl named Sana, and what’s that? Sharon?” This was Tzuyu talking.

“Sharon? Is she Foreign or something?” I asked them.

“Myoui Sharon.” that’s Jeongyeon unnie chuckling as she read Sharon’s door label.

Nayeon unnie is suddenly chuckling as well.

“Yah, Im Nayeon. You know how much she doesn’t like her English name.”

Nayeon unnie smirked and that’s when she told us that Tzuyu and me were the only new tenants in the building. She explained that she’s lived with the other girls before and that all of them are good friends. She explained that she’s even close with the girls living in the house next door where Jeongyeon lived. After a few minutes of talking, we were already finished eating.

“Unnie, Tyuzu and I will be the ones to dispose of the trash.” I tell Nayeon unnie. I stood up and suddenly we all heard a knock on the door. Both Nayeon and Jeongyeon stared at each other and smiled.

“It must be them!” They both hurriedly marched to the door and greeted their friends. Tzuyu and I Hurriedly placed the dishes where they needed to be placed and marched to the front door.

“Yah! Sana! Is the water in Japan that good that you became so pretty over the summer?!” This was Nayeon hugging sana and giving her kisses all over her face. Jeongyeon was just standing beside them, only patting Sana’s head. 

“But Unnie! You’re prettier!” The girl named Sana replied with the sweetest smile on her face.

“Really? Well then, we’re both pretty!” Replies Nayeon unnie.

I glanced at Tzuyu who was visibly unamused. I stared at them blankly and noticed that Jeongyeon was cringing. 

“Yah! Jeongyeon! Where’s my kiss?” that was Sana trying to hug Jeongyeon with her lips all pouty. Jeongyeon started to freak out and instantly stopped Sana by placing her hand on Sana’s face. To this, Sana tried to act like she felt hurt but she started smiling when Jeongyeon approached her and gave her a hug. 

“We good?” asked Jeongyeon.

“I’ll get a kiss from you, Ms. Yoo. Mark my words.” says Sana with Conviction. All of a sudden she turns her gaze towards me and Tzuyu. She smiled and went up to the both of us. I stared at both Jeongyeon and Nayeon who were now laughing. Tzuyu however, is still unamused.

“And you guys must be the new tenants! ” says Sana and she proceeded to hug me and Tzuyu separately. 

“What’s your name?” Asks the girl named Sana. 

“Chou Tzuyu. You can call me Tzuyu and it’s nice to meet you, unnie.”Tzuyu smiles Sweetly.

“Long limbs Tzuyu. Cool. What about you?” She stared at me. 

“My name is Son Chaeyoung. You can call me--”

“Short limbs Chaeyoung?” She asked without missing a beat.

The room burst out of laughter. Even the unamused giant started laughing too. I looked at her and instead of getting offended I started chuckling too, she’s too precious for me to be mad at her. I nodded and this time I was the one who hugged her. The girl introduced herself as Sana, she had a sweet smile. She was talking but I wasn’t really hearing anything. I just stared at her. She has this cute and easygoing vibe to her. I casually smiled as she talked.

“Tzuya-ah, I think I’m gonna like it here.” I whisper to Tzuyu. She smiles and nods as if she’s trying to tell me that she agrees. 

Me and Tzuyu helped Sana unnie with her bags, each of us carried a bag and placed them in front of her room. After placing the bags, Tzuyu walked towards the kitchen and started working on whatever she was doing there. I looked at the front door and realized that it still wasn’t closed and that Sana still had some bags left there. I walked casually to the front door to retrieve and place the bags to where it belongs since the older tenants were busy talking.

I was about to retrieve the bags when all of a sudden the older tenants ran towards my direction. 

“Minari!” Shouts Nayeon unnie.

“Yah! Mitang!” Shouts Sana cutely.

“What’s good, Sharon?” Casually asks Jeongyeon. 

As I look up, I see another girl. She must be Sharon. I stand up straight and just observe them interact with each other.

“Yah, Mitang. You were right behind me earlier. Where did you go?” this was Sana asking the girl in a cute way.

“I just accompanied Momo to her place.” Says the girl calmly. 

“Oh, really? You guys traveled together, huh?” asks Jeongyeon.

The girl nodded and smiled. “Anyway, people at your building are already complete. When I accompanied Momo to your place, everyone was there to welcome her except you.” says the girl calmly. 

“Maybe I should go now. Maybe they’re already waiting for me?” asks jeongyeon. The girl smiled and nodded. She seems like a calm person. 

“Yah, how did our Minari’s summer go? Did you miss us? I sure missed you!” says Nayeon as she clings to the girl. The girl named Mina laughs and nods. Suddenly, I realized all I did was stare. It felt as if my mouth was slightly opened. Sana seemed to notice this, to this she chuckles and she started to tug on Mina's shirt.

“Oh! These are our new roomies. This smol bean here is Son Chaeyoung. That Tree over there is Chou Tzuyu.” Says Sana Casually as she pointed at us simultaneously. Nayeon Gets off of the girl and the girl reached her hand out to me and smiled. A gummy smile. A smile that weirdly left an impression to me. Because of this, I reached for her hand too and smiled back sweetly.

“Hello, Chaeng. My name is Myoui Mina. You can call me Mina unnie.” Says the girl as she casually ran her fingers through her beautiful black hair. 


	2. The one where they all get Acquainted

It has been a few days since I moved into the new dormitory. I’ve been adjusting quite slowly to the life of a college student. Seriously, living away from my family is quite difficult. At first I thought everything would just be fun and games but after a couple of days, I realized that living away from my family meant doing everything on my own. I have to do laundry myself, study, eat alone since I don’t get the chance to eat with my housemates all the time, and many more things. 

Amidst all this, I still find this type of life charming in its own rights. Living here has its own flavor per se. Sure, at home I can have home cooked meals and I could just ask for money from either mom or dad whenever I’m in need. With my family, I experience this comfort. However, if I choose to stay there, I'm pretty sure I’d be bored to death. I cannot imagine living my college life not being able to do dumb things. I can’t imagine not going to parties, drinking, eating junk, meeting new friends, and the most important thing of all is dating someone. I want to date someone.

I’m not saying that my parents are strict or anything. I’m pretty sure they’ve done dumb shit when they were young as well. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let me go to a University that’s far away from home if they intend to protect me my whole life. I know they weren’t born yesterday, and I’m sure they know that letting me live far away means that I’ll do normal things ladies my age do such as; partying, drinking, and dating. 

It’s just that, there’s something my parents probably do not know about me. As their eldest and only daughter, I do not want to hurt or shock the both of them. The truth is, I’ve dated someone about two years back and we eventually broke up. The break up, did not end either in bad or good terms. Our relationship, in my point of view, just ended like nothing and I moved on. 

I was a year younger than the person I dated and well, since my partner’s University life started, our relationship somehow fizzled out. During our relationship, I made sure that my family did not notice a thing. I made us, a secret. I’m pretty sure that we were the only ones who knew that we dated. I wasn’t proud of what I did and I felt sorry for my partner but I had no choice.

My parents are not against the idea of me dating, I just thought they weren’t ready to hear my story during that time. Well, I’m pretty sure I wasn't ready to tell them that I’ve started dating someone too. 

Anyway, it has been two years and I’ve really tried to forget. I do not regret it; I just want it to become a memory that would serve as something I’d look back and smile at. I’m pretty sure I’d be able to date someone freely now since I’ve become an adult. The thought makes me smile. I’m not actively seeking someone to date though, but hopefully, I’d get to eventually start dating later.

“Chaeyoung-ah, I think you’re walking a little too fast.” 

I look back and see Tzuyu struggling to keep up with my pace. I chuckle and stop just to let her catch up to me. My thoughts sometimes, get the best of me. 

“For someone with short limbs, you sure walk fast.” she teases me.

“For someone with long limbs, you sure walk like a toddler. Keep up, will you?” I jokingly snort at her and she gave me this blank stare.

“Look, Chaeyoung-ah, a good height comes with a great responsibility. I’m sorry you can’t understand this thing that I’ve been bestowed upon. I don’t expect you to understand my hardship.” She smiles coyly. To this, my mouth dropped and I playfully smack her arm. 

“Shut your trap, you tree.” I pretended to be hurt because I wanted to see how she’d react.

“Is our Shorty hurt?” She asked me with her lips all pouty. She’s even patting the top of my head like I’m some kind of a child. I roll my eyes at her.

“I hope you’d grow taller!” I stuck my tongue out as I curse her. 

“Is that supposed to be a message to yourself or something?” She smirked. I cannot believe that I am currently being severely burned by some giant. I look at her blankly as we walk. She starts chuckling and I forget that she was teasing me. I laugh with her too. 

_It is things like this that make me think that moving here was the right decision._

“Tzuyu, what time is it?” I ask her. She looks at her wrist watch and nod.

“It’s quarter to 9, why?”

“Darn it, have we been that busy the whole day?” I scratch my head in frustration. She nods.

“Yeah, I mean, we’re both so busy we even forgot to eat lunch a while ago.” She looked at me. My eyes widen as I realize what she said was true. The funny thing is, I was in autopilot mode and did not really care about not eating anything.

“Holy shit. We totally forgot to eat lunch.” She nodded and just shrugged. I shake my head in disappointment. 

Tzuyu and I have classes together in some of our minor subjects. Though this giant sometimes comes off as totally shrewd, I felt a rush of relief wash over me when I saw her. Normally, I wouldn’t want to hang out with her since she’d really burn me with her words. Seriously, she’d cockblock me when she feels like it. 

But, when her eyes met mine, I see her Smile. For some reason it also seemed like she also felt good when she saw me. She even invited me to sit next to her. 

“Don’t worry, let’s just endure this project for now. Even though you’re short, you’re quite skilled in the academics. I like that about you.” She says this as if talking to her employee.

I nod. Tzuyu and I teamed up for an upcoming project because I didn’t really want to team up with someone I totally do not know. Besides, picking her as my partner seemed like the best option so far. Since we live in one house, this meant she’d be accessible. 

We continuously walk towards our dormitory. The University that we attend to is only 15 minutes away from our dorm if we walk. As we stride together, my stomach rumbles its hymn of death. I pretend to not hear a thing. 

“Don’t worry. When we get home there will be food for us.” She tells me reassuringly. 

I look at her with a confused look. What is she talking about?

“Sorry, what did you just say?” I asked her.

“I said, there will be food ready when we get home.” She looked at me, this time seriously. We still were walking during our exchange.

“I’m sorry but don’t get me wrong, are you a psychic or something?” I ask her. I was confused since during the past few days, whenever I get home, no one is really in the living room. It’s either they're asleep in their rooms or just doing their own business. Most of the time I get my food from the nearest convenience store. 

“What does this have to do with being psychic?” She looked at me.

“How do you know there’s food?” I ask her.

“Because THERE is.” She says in frustration.

“Well then, HOW do you know?” 

Remember when I said that Tzuyu is shrewd? Sometimes she’s not only shrewd, she’s also difficult to understand at times. No, not only that, sometimes I want to ship her back to Taiwan.

“We’ll be having a group dinner tonight.” She looked at me. I scrunch my nose.

“Like, everyone inside the house? So like, we’ll eat together?” After asking this I realized I sounded like a girl who’s from California. 

“Yeah, everyone. Jeongyeon unnie and her housemates will be there too.”

I nodded and wondered how come she knows all about this and I don’t? I shake off the thought out of my head and continue walking. Tzuyu and I continued walking until we can already see our dorm. The night is cold and walking has really helped with keeping myself warm. 

All of a sudden, a familiar face emerged right before me and Tzuyu as we got close to our dorm's gate.

“Where have you guys been?” The girl asks, she seemed concerned.

“Has the dinner started yet, Jeongyeon unnie?” Asks Tzuyu. 

“Got no time, come on!” Jeongyeon unnie grabs each our hands and she started leading Tzuyu and I into our dorm as if she lives in the place. I mean, she practically lives in the place. She always eats there and she always seemed to hang out with Nayeon unnie. I glance at Tzuyu who is acting totally nonchalant at the moment. The three of us walk past the gate into the lawn and up the stairs where the door was closed but is unlocked. 

“You guys should come in now. Tell everyone you guys can start eating without me.” Says Jeongyeon unnie calmly. 

To this, Tzuyu nodded and she went straight inside our place. Jeongyeon unnie was still standing beside me. She was looking right past the dorm's gate. 

“Unnie, why would we eat without you? Come on in. Let’s eat together.” I try to persuade her.

“Just do as I say, Chaeyoung-ah. I’m still waiting for one of my housemates. Okay? I’ll come inside once she’s here already.” She smiles and pats the top of my head. 

I just looked at her. She seemed insistent enough so I nodded and went straight inside. The moment I stepped inside the dorm, the smell of good food wafted inside my nostrils. When I entered the place, I saw familiar and unfamiliar faces.

Everyone was seated in the middle of the living room. The coffee table was put aside in which a bigger cloth was placed in order to serve as a place where all the food was placed. All sorts of food was placed in the middle of the room. There’s jajangmyeon, sweet and sour fish, side dishes, hot pot, and loads of other delicious dishes. 

“Yah, Son Chaeyoung! What took you so long?” that was Sana unnie looking at me, she’s smiling though. Cute. All of a sudden, a girl with a beautiful face handed me a plate and chopsticks. I looked at her confused. “I’m your Jihyo unnie. Nice to meet you, Chaeyoung-ah.” She pats my butt and she headed for the kitchen. I smiled, I don’t know, I just felt welcomed.

“Chaeyoung-Ssi, Where’s Jeongyeon?” that was Nayeon unnie speaking. I looked at her and just shrugged. I honestly don't know where that unnie is right now. Besides, I’m pretty sure Nayeon unnie wouldn’t die if she didn’t get to see Jeongyeon. 

My eyes roamed around to look for a seat but to no avail. I just sighed and was about to go sit at the kitchen when a voice called out to me.

“Chaeng-ah, come sit beside me.”

I turned my gaze to the direction where the voice came from and saw a familiar face. It was Mina unnie. I smiled at her and immediately walked towards where she was sitting. I sit beside her. She didn’t really react when I sat beside her; she even scooted a little bit to give me more space. I carefully tucked my loose hair behind my ear and looked at her. 

“Thank you, Mina.” I smiled. She just nodded and then smiled back. When I say smile, I meant a smile without teeth. Just a smile. I guess she’s the type to not really talk so I let her be. I looked around some more and observed everyone.

“Anyway, why are you guys so late?” that was the unnie named Jihyo speaking.

“Yeah, why?” that is a follow up question from Sana unnie. 

“Didn’t you guys read the group chat? There was a reminder there for everyone to be here on time.” That was Nayeon unnie talking.

Wait, hold the fuck up. There’s a group chat? I turn my gaze towards Tzuyu who was now obviously trying not to look me in the eye. That sly creature totally forgot to add me to the group chat.

“What Group chat?” I look at everyone innocently. The moment I asked the question everyone sighed and realized that the reason we were late and uninformed is because I wasn’t in the group chat. I sighed and looked at them. “I have no idea what you guys are talking about.” I tell them.

“Yah, Chou Tzuyu. Shouldn’t you be the one who should’ve added short-limbs Chaeyoung to our Group chat?” that was Sana unnie talking to Tzuyu. “I’ll punish you later.” she suddenly winked at Tzuyu. Everyone laughed at her statement, Jihyo unnie was visibly taken aback though. Tzuyu looked away. That’s the first time I saw Tzuyu terrified. It’s actually quite satisfying, wow.

“Yah, Sana. Cut the kid some slack. She just got home from a tiring day at school. Quit teasing her.” A girl with beautiful round eyes and a cute voice interrupted. She handed Tzuyu a plate full of food and smiled at her. “I’m your Momo unnie. Nice to meet you, Tzuyu.” Momo smiled. 

Everyone seemed to have forgotten their train of thought because all the girls started to get their own food for their plates. I didn’t really feel hungry because of all the people inside the place. So, I just observed everyone and their movements. The moment I looked to my right side, I noticed Mina unnie wasn’t really digging in as well. I guess she’s just waiting for everyone to finish getting their food. 

I look at her and notice how she’s just observing everyone around us. If I were to be completely honest, I do not know everyone here just yet. I mean, I do not know their personalities and attitudes. Everyone is unique but they all seem to get along. Though each of us have different personalities, I can see the unity when we’re together. 

I look at Nayeon unnie. Nayeon unnie, doesn’t seem like she’s the oldest among everyone in this room. She’s quite full of full life. She acts like a kid, maybe this is an act to cover up for the fact that she’s getting old. Okay, that’s funny. She seems caring though, for sure. She seems to be caring and sweet. 

Jeongyeon unnie seems cold at first. To me, she comes off as assertive. Like, whenever she thinks something is wrong she’s say it outright. Honestly, I think she’s beautiful. She could be a supermodel. I noticed how she loves to joke around too. I just don’t understand why, because most of the time she’s not that funny at all. 

Sana unnie, she comes off as cheerful and very cute. To be honest, I find her cute and almost flirty with everyone. I don’t find that odd though since everyone in this dorm is relatively beautiful. To be honest, I’d say everyone looks attractive.

Tzuyu, the brat. She’s a fucking tree who’s secretly pretending to be a human being. Sometimes she is just insufferable. However, even though she projects this kind of image I can see that she’s really more than that if I dig deeper. I think she’s a sincere person though. 

I look around some more and my eyes notice Mina. She’s probably the only housemate who I haven’t really thought about these past few days. Maybe it’s because she’s mostly not around. I don’t see her that much and to be honest, I don’t really know her that well. 

I look at her some more. This time I’m trying to memorize how she looks like and realized that this is probably the first time I’ve stared at her this long. If I were to be honest, she’s quite the looker. I mean, as I’ve said before, everyone in our dormitory looks beautiful. I don’t have favorites. Mina, though, has a good looking side profile. Beautiful straight nose, lips that aren’t too pouty nor too thin, her bangs just fell effortlessly on her forehead, and she’s got beautiful eyes too. 

I looked away and sighed. I hope to be that attractive. I turned my gaze to Mina once more and is caught off guard. She’s now currently looking at me. I blinked, not sure with what to do. I only looked away for a second, right? Has she been looking at me for a while now? 

Suddenly, Mina moved her mouth. She was saying something but I couldn’t hear it. Not with all this noise inside the dorm. I looked at her and gave her the “what is it” look. But honestly, the only thing that I’ve noticed about her are her moles. Usually moles are considered imperfections here in Korea but now that I look at her some more, I realize she looks good with it. How the hell can she make moles look desirable? Gosh darn it, I wish I’m half as attractive as her. 

“Why aren’t you eating?” she asks, her voice soft. It sounded concerned even.

“What?” I ask her as I blink my eyes repeatedly. All of a sudden she smiles, exposing her teeth. A gummy smile and because of this I couldn’t help myself, so I also smiled. She looked at me again and she ran her fingers through her hair. 

“Here you go.” Mina suddenly handed me a plate full of food. I receive it and just look at her. I’m in awe. How can she be kind as well? 

“You know Chaeyoung-ah, when someone gives you food, you eat it.” She looks at me and smiles. I chuckle and look down not knowing what to do. I suddenly feel my cheeks become hot. I breathe out and then look up. I noticed she’s now grabbing food for herself. 

“Thanks.” I say softly. She turns around and nods at me. 

“Do you want me to add you in our Group chat?” Mina asks. I look at her and nod. She then grabs her hand phone from her back pocket and opens it. She scrolls through her stuff and then she looks at me. She’s got this blank look on her face. “Give me your number then.” She looks at me with her piercing eyes. I just stare at her.

_What did she just say?_

“Yah, everyone! Look at our Minari making moves on Chaeyoung.” That was Nayeon unnie laughing. Suddenly, everyone started laughing too and I couldn’t face anyone. I look down and try my best not to gain attention.

“Look, Chaeyoung is turning red!” that was Sana unnie teasing me. 

“Oh my God, Minari! It seems like you’re liking this! You’re smiling!” that was Jihyo unnie. I hear hands clapping together and more teasing.

_She’s smiling?_

“Chaeyoung is not blushing. She’s just really tired. We’ve both had a long day and she hasn’t eaten anything yet.” That was Tzuyu speaking. Thank God. 

I look up and Nod. 

“Yeah, I haven’t had anything since lunch. What are you guys talking about?” I defend myself.

Everyone started nodding and everyone seemed to quickly forget what just happened. Huh, that was fast. I turn my gaze to Tzuyu who’s now busily eating and talking to everyone. I owe that Giant a favor. I shrug and looked at Mina. 

“Don’t forget, I asked for your number first. Understood?” she whispers. I look at her and nod. What the hell does that mean? 

I grabbed her phone and typed my number and handed her the smartphone right after. Moments later, I receive two notifications in my Kakao talk. I just shrug it off because I know it’s the invite for our group chat.

“I added you in two group chats. One for everyone who lives here in our dormitory and the other one is for everyone in our dorm plus the people in Jeongyeon’s place.” She blabbers and then she eats a bite of her food from her plate. I just nod and doze off again. “Eat up. Tzuyu said you haven’t eaten yet. Right?” 

I agree and I start to eat and that’s when I realized that I really am hungry. Damn it, how can I forget to eat lunch? What kind of an absent minded idiot am I? I continue to eat when all of a sudden someone speaks. It’s Momo unnie.

“Now that the new tenants are here, I think we all should have a proper get together. I want to do something fun!” She excitedly says.

“Isn’t this a get together already?” I ask.

“Honestly, No. Not really.” Answers Jihyo. 

Then what the hell is a get together then? Isn’t it supposed to be people just doing stuff together? Aren’t we doing something together just right now?

“Should we go to a Karaoke room?” asks Momo.

“That’s a little weak Momo, try again.” Says Nayeon.

“Should we eat outside?” asks Jihyo.

“Nooooo, let’s do something that we’d all remember.” Whines Momo. 

“Do you guys want to play badminton?” asks Sana randomly.

“Go home Sana, you’re drunk!” Shouts Jihyo unnie as she laughs. Sana unnie only stuck her tongue out in surrender. 

“Maybe we can go to Jeju?” asks Jihyo unnie.

“Yeah … We’re broke so it’s a no.” Interrupted Nayeon. Everyone just Nodded. She’s right, I mean, all of us got like $50 dollars worth of money combined.

“We can all go to Osaka and eat Jimami Tofu.” Suggests Momo.

“We’ve got Nayeon here , you can just go and eat her—” That was Sana unnie being cut by Nayeon unnie. What was Momo supposed to do with Nayeon unnie? And what the hell is a Jimami Tofu? Isn’t Osaka in Japan? I’ve got so many questions inside my head right now.

I look at Mina beside me and noticed that she was just listening. She wasn’t saying anything but you can feel that she’s paying attention. She laughs whenever someone says something funny and she’d even shake her head when someone says something odd.

“Let’s rent a place and have some drinks.” Suggested Tzuyu. 

Everyone looked at her. We were all in a bit of a shock to be honest, but I am not against the idea. Suddenly, Sana unnie stood up and clapped her hands slowly for dramatic effect. She pointed to Tzuyu and nodded in agreement.

“This girl right here, I like her. That’s a very good idea.” She blurts out and then she takes her seat right after her remarks. She’s weird.

“So, I guess, we’ll go with Tzuyu’s idea!” Jihyo unnie raises her hand and proceeds to clap. We all start clapping.

I look around and notice that everyone seems to be socializing with each other. I couldn’t help but smile. I’m seriously having a good time. 

I smile, but not too much. Just enough so that everyone won’t notice. All of a sudden Nayeon unnie stands up and turns the television on. She’s trying to operate something. Seconds later, I notice she finished doing science stuff, she grabs a microphone, turns it on and then speaks.

“Everyone, I will now commence the Karaoke contest. Who wants to go up first?”

Jihyo unnie was the first one to raise her hand. Everyone started cheering for her and the event started. I just look around and notice how they all are enjoying themselves; I’m not really much of a talker if I still am not familiar with the people around me. I usually talk a lot but only with people who I am already familiar with. I lean back a little bit and stretch my feet. 

“Do you sing?”

I look back and see Mina unnie looking at me, she’s smiling. Maybe she’s smiling because of the way I am sitting down. I sit properly and slowly turn my sitting position in order to face her. 

“Not really, unnie.” I shake my head. “What about you?” I look at her, waiting for an answer. 

_I do sing, actually. I just don’t feel like it._

“I’m okay in the singing department.” She answers with a smile. I nod, not really knowing what to say next.

“You know, we do this kind of thing once in a while. It helps us bond with the people next door.” She looks at me as if she knows I’m wondering why there’s a gathering. I smile and nod. 

“How long have you known them?” I ask.

“Well, I’ve been living here for two years now.” She looks at me. The way she answers makes me want to ask her more questions. 

“Do you like it here?” the question suddenly came out of my mouth.

“Well, so far, it’s been amazing. I mean, I’m the youngest tenant here until you and Tzuyu came along so I’m pretty excited to meet you guys.” I nod and I take another bite of my food which is almost finished. 

“Please take care of us, unnie!” That was Tzuyu acting all cutesy. I realized she was sitting beside Mina unnie during our conversation. Tzuyu was listening. That fucking tree. 

Mina chuckled and nodded at Tzuyu. She grabs something, a tissue, and she leans in close to me. Real close. I mean real close, to the point that our faces are almost touching. Our proximity gets me off-guard and I just blink. I try not to make any sudden movements but the more I try to constrain myself, the more I become tense. I dread this feeling. I breathed in and caught a whiff of her. Her scent. She smelled of lavender. 

“Here.” She places the tissue directly over my mouth. “I’ll take care of you guys, for sure.” She smiles. She looks at me in my eyes for a second. She had this lingering stare. Her stare, it seemed blank. Like nothing was there, it felt like she’s trying to understand me through my eyes. She then easily leans back and starts a conversation with Tzuyu. 

That is when I understood that I've got food stain on my mouth. I turn my back and wipe my mouth immediately. I groan in frustration. Fuck my life. 

“Yah! Myoui Mitang!” that was Nayeon unnie calling out to her.

“Yes?”

“Come up here and sing.” She urges Mina.

Mina just nods and stands up. She receives the Microphone from Nayeon who visibly looks impressed. For some reason, everyone went silent. I look around and notice that almost everyone is paying her attention. I turn my gaze towards Momo unnie. I stand up slowly and move next to her.

“Unnie…” I whisper.

“What’s up?” she looks at me. 

“How come everyone is so quiet when it’s her turn?” I whisper, slightly pointing my finger to Mina’s direction. She just smiles at my question.

“Minari, she’s introverted.” She smiles at me, sweetly. I just stare at her, amazed with how beautiful she looks up close. “Don’t get me wrong, she's pretty shy at times but she’s fun to be around with. I actually don’t know why she’s so confident all of a sudden.” She whispers back. I just nod. 

Mina’s chosen music starts and I hear a very familiar melody. I look at Momo unnie, she just smiles at me. I listen a little more and realize the song she’s about to sing the song entitled “Good Person”, by super junior. I couldn’t believe it, of all the songs she could’ve chosen, why did she pick a song that I liked. I gulp.

Right before the music starts she looked at where we were sitting awhile ago and realized I wasn’t there anymore. I wave at her and she finally noticed that I changed my seat. She smiled. I mouthed the word “FIGHTING” and smiled back. She nodded and turned her gaze towards the screen again.

She opens her mouth and sings the first note. My heart sinks. Have you ever felt your heart sink? Usually people associate this feeling to heartbreak. I do feel a little betrayed as of the moment. I feel as if my heart is broken because my expectations were not met. When I expect things, I want it to go my way. 

As for her, Mina, I wanted her so badly to bluff. I wanted her to bluff that she knows how to sing. My heart is sinking because what I wanted isn’t what came thru. I wanted Mina to be tone-deaf. I wanted her to miss each note and make everyone laugh. But no, this almost flawless person singing right in front of me is breezing through every note effortlessly. I sigh. That’s why my heart sank. It’s because she’s perfect. 

“Oh, Chaeyoung-ah, I can see you like our Mitang.” Momo unnie teasingly whispered as she’s poking my waist for fun. 

“EH?” I look at her confused. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised though.” She looked at me cheekily.

“EH?!” this time my voice was louder.

“I said, I wouldn’t be surprised!” she says with conviction but her voice is quiet enough that only the two of us can hear our conversation.

“EH…” I say in a weak state. Seriously, I wasn’t in the mood for this conversation.

“Quit saying ‘EH’. That’s my line.” She looked at me with a threatening stare. “ I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised because everyone in this house adores her. Everyone here likes her. She’s precious, our Mitang.” 

I look at her hoping that she’d just blabber more. 

“She’s got this thing where she’s like a magnet. Everyone is just drawn to her because she’s really nice and cool. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d want to be friends with her too.” she looks at me.

“I’ve got no choice, have I? I mean, she’s a co-tenant. I have to be friends with her if I want to live my life here peacefully.” I jokingly whisper at Momo unnie. She nods and went back to listening to Mina.

I look at everyone and I notice that they’re all smiling. Huh, I guess we all feel the same way. Seriously, what’s wrong with me? This is probably because I really like the song. And for this person to sing it right in front of me, I smile, maybe saying that I like the song is an understatement. Maybe I love it.

Mina finishes the song and hands Nayeon unnie the microphone. Everyone claps their hands. So do I. We all smile and congratulate her. I stay by Momo unnie’s side though. I wasn’t really in the mood to sit right next to Mina. I pretend to scroll through my phone and read stuff from the internet.

“Everyone! We’re here!”

Everyone except for me turned their gaze at the direction where the voice came from. I wasn’t in the mood to look up. Not with my flushed cheeks I can’t. 

“Yoo Jeongyeon! Come sit here beside me.” That was Nayeon unnie talking. 

“Yah! Dubu! Come sit here beside me!” That was Sana unnie talking. I look up to see the tenant they are referring to.

The moment my eyes met hers, I froze. I assume she herself froze too because she suddenly became silent. My heart started racing and it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. Everyone in the room became silent too. A room filled with nine girls became silent. Unbelievable. 

Those eyes, they never changed. That nose, those lips, and that face. Everything was still the same. Nothing changed. It felt like yesterday.

“Son Chaeyoung.” I hear her say my name. Her voice, it wasn’t mad nor was it emotionless. She spoke my name with such a longing tone. I can see it in her eyes that she wanted me to respond. My face started to turn red. Good thing my back is facing the unnies. I can’t let them see me in this state. I wanted to talk but nothing came out of my mouth. 

“Excuse me, are we missing something here?” Sana unnie interrupted. 

“Is this a K-Drama or something?” asks Momo.

“You guys, why aren’t you talking? Cat’s got your tongue? “ asks Jeongyeon.

“This is the first time you met. Right?” asked Tzuyu.

I looked at Tzuyu and I wanted to nod but instead I just looked at her and gave her a confused look. Everyone stared at us. Suddenly I heard Jihyo unnie speak.

“Do you guys know each other?”

_Silence._

“Yeah, we do. We know each other a little too well.” I turned my gaze towards Dahyun who’s now walking towards me. She looked at me and motioned for me to move a little to the side. I scooted a little bit to give her space. She then sat next to me while fourteen pairs of eyes looked at us carefully.

“You can’t really know someone that well unless…” Sana unnie trails off and then she smirks.

“Unless what, Shiba inu?” asks Momo unnie.

“You know, unless there’s tension…” trails off Sana.

“Yah Sana, tension isn’t the basis of knowing each other well!” Chuckles Momo unnie. Everyone just listens to whatever’s coming out of their mouths. “We’ve taken baths together, we’ve gotten to know each other after that. No tension came after! ” Momo unnie nonchalantly speaks. We all look at her and pause for a while. What the hell is going on inside her head?

“I know myself too. I know myself a little too well.” Whispers Jihyo unnie, thinking we wouldn’t hear her.

“Go get yourself a boyfriend who’d love to get to know you ‘too well’, geez you’re turning thirsty.” Says Jeongyeon unnie jokingly. Jihyo unnie only looked at Jeongyeon with a death glare.

“What the hell does that mean? ‘We know each other a little too well’?” asked Nayeon unnie mockingly. I just looked at her. Dahyun started to grab her own plate like nothing happened. 

“You know, whatever that means.” Dahyun chuckles. “Her name is Son Chaeyoung and she’s a freshman. She’s small but feisty. What else? Oh! She’s really short. See? We know each other well.” Dahyun shoves food in her mouth. 

“Does that mean you guys are friends?” asks Mina. Everyone laughs after Mina’s question. This broke the ice and everyone eventually started talking to each other. Mina’s tone though, it seemed flat. Uninterested even. Why would she bother asking with that tone?

I look at Mina. Personally, I have this problem of not being able to lie. I cannot lie. It’s just in me. I nudge Dahyun discreetly. I wanted her to answer the question.

“Friends? Yeah. You could say that.” She answers as she chews on her food. 

“Aren’t we best of friends?” Says Dahyun with a smile on her face as she pinched my cheek. I forced out a fake chuckle. I nodded and looked at both Mina and Tzuyu. I can see it in their eyes they do not believe anything we’re saying. I understand them. If I was in their shoes I’d be hardly convinced too. 

I sigh and look away trying not to mind the fact that of all places in Korea, Kim Dahyun had to live right next to mine. I loathe the idea that of all places, my ex-girlfriend had to live right next to my dorm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please don’t forget to comment down below! Share this with your friends, cause they might enjoy this too! Anyway, if you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Have a good day!


	3. Go forth and meet new people, Cub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t forget to comment down below! Share this with your friends, cause they might enjoy this too! Anyway, if you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Please enjoy the read!

“Friends? Yeah. You could say that.” She answers as she chews on her food. 

“Aren’t we best of friends?” Says Dahyun with a smile on her face as she pinched my cheek. I forced out a fake chuckle. I nodded and looked at both Mina and Tzuyu. I can see it in their eyes they do not believe anything we’re saying. I understand them. If I was in their shoes I’d be hardly convinced too. 

I sigh and look away trying not to mind the fact that of all places in Korea, Kim Dahyun had to live right next to mine. I loathe the idea that in all places, my ex-girlfriend had to live right next to my dorm. 

* * *

The evening had its own pace or maybe I had my own pace. My brain had its own concept of time. I am in Chaeng’s world, and in this world, I had my own way of understanding of time. I believe in letting things sit until it's the right moment. I just don’t feel the point of rushing into things. 

Probably an hour after Jeongyeon and Dahyun came that night, the group dinner was over. Everyone helped in cleaning the dormitory, we didn’t really want to live in a filthy place. The funny thing was Jeongyeon unnie became really joyous when she heard it was time to clean the place. Her eyes lit up at the thought of cleaning.

_I’d theorize that she has a weird fetish for cleaning._

Jeongyeon unnie, the clean freak wanted the place spotless. I kid you not when I say she morphed into a vacuum cleaner when we started cleaning. It was weird how she got so compulsive when we all started. 

_I don’t know, I think it’s nice how now I’m starting to get to know everyone one by one._

Right after we finished cleaning our dormitory, everyone started to mind their own business. Almost everyone from my dormitory headed to their respective rooms. I’m guessing they all were feeling pretty tired. I wasn’t though. I don’t know why, after all the work I’ve done today I wasn’t ready for bed. I look at my phone and see that it’s still a quarter to 1 pm.

There isn’t really anything to do as of the moment so I decided to take a warm bath. I went inside my room to pick my things for bathing and decided to use some of my bath bombs. I really hope that taking a shower can make me feel relaxed. I really want to sleep, today’s been really exhausting.

I made sure to lock the door after I came in. I stripped down, wore my bathrobe, and set my clothes aside. After all that, I turned on the hot water. While waiting for the bathtub to fill up, I’ve decided to sit on the toilet and scroll through my phone. While scrolling through Instagram, I decided to look at my Kakaotalk and see the group chats that I’ve just been added to. As expected, there were two new groups up in my messages; the one for our dormitory was named 

“NABONG, A BEAUTY”.

_What kind of bullshit is this?_

Aish, I really thought Nayeon unnie’s self-loving streak was only for show. But it turns out, she really does think she’s a goddess. This old lady is unbelievable. I click on the group chat to see what was happening. I see a very long ass thread of them talking about random things. I mean really random things. Things good friends talk and rave about. This makes me smile. The funny thing is, everyone had their own nicknames in the group chat. I didn’t have one though since I was only added a while ago.

Their nicknames were as follows:

NAYEON: Goddess

SANA: Snack

MINA: Penguin

TZUYU: Demon tree

_Everyone seemed close. I hope I become closer to them._

Everyone was even sending photos in the GC. The last photo was a selfie of Sana unnie and Tzuyu. It was clearly taken in one of the bedrooms; all bedrooms are the same that’s why I’m sure. I look at the time it was sent and it was only sent less than twenty minutes ago. I shrug. Maybe they’re just hanging out, a sunbae-hoobae type of relationship is what they call it.

[KAKAOTALK]

Snack: Our maknae will be sleeping in my room toniggght!

Goddess: Should I join you guys?

Snack: Why???

Goddess: Some nights tend to become really lonely …

Demon Tree: Ah.

Demon Tree: Don’t you dare bring your loneliness in Sana Unnie’s room

Snack: HAHAHAHAHAHA! Our Tzuyu wants me all for herself! :P 

Goddess: You’re too mean! T_T

Demon Tree: Don’t you dare come barging in.

I laugh as I read the thread. It does seem like everyone is comfortable with each other. I look over to the bath-tub and see it’s already full. I stand up and walk towards it and slowly dip my feet inside the tub. Perfect, water’s lukewarm. I placed the bath bomb in the water and it started doing its work, after that, I get inside the bathtub and feel the warm and scented water around me. I smile and sighed.

_I like this._

I remove my hair tie and place it on the floor and started to take a bath. I scrubbed all parts of my body and even shampooed my hair. It took me about thirty minutes to finish my routine. I get out of the bathtub right after since the water isn’t getting any warmer. I put on my bathrobe, got my things and went outside. The moment I stepped outside of the bathroom, it was noticeable that everyone was already asleep. The dormitory was very silent. I walk towards my room and go inside. After the bath, I feel a lot better. I remove my bathrobe and start to dry my body. I put on some comfortable clothes. I looked at my mirror and see myself.

_Girl, you look like you’re worth a million dollars._

As I was about to grab my blow dryer to dry my hair, my phone suddenly notified me of a message. I turn my gaze to my phone which was placed on my dresser.

“Who could it be at this hour?” I whisper to myself.

I get a hold of my phone and see a message in my Kakaotalk from someone I didn’t add yet. I quickly opened the message and sighed.

Kim Dahyun:

_I’m outside. I want to see you._

I look at it with a blank stare. Jesus, what the hell does she want now? I sigh and place my phone on my dresser again and try to ignore her message. I just loathe the fact that she lives near me. I plug the blower and start drying my hair when another notification alarmed. I received another text from her.

Kim Dahyun:

_It is crazy cold out here but I’ll wait for you._

I was still blow-drying my hair at the moment but her text made me turn the blower off. I even slammed the blower on the dresser a little too hard.

_What’s up with her?_

I think I’m going crazy. I look at myself in the mirror and sigh. Do I really have to meet her outside? What the hell does she want to talk about? What type of game is she trying to play?

_Jesus, Kim Dahyun, we broke up two years ago._

Annoyed, but I still unplugged the blower and turned off the light before I went outside of my room. I made sure my steps weren’t loud while I was trying to head outside. The moment my feet touched the ground outside of the dormitory, I saw Kim Dahyun standing right outside of my dormitory’s gate. 

_How come she still looks so enthusiastic?_

She waves at me. I only look at her, politely. I walk towards the gate and open it. I go outside and look at her. She grabbed my hand and then she led me to a corner where we cannot be seen by anyone from our dormitories. I looked at her, confused. 

“You told me to meet you outside. We could’ve had a conversation right in front of our gate. Why bring me here?” I asked her nonchalantly. I just really didn’t see the purpose of her trying to hide us. There wasn’t really anything to hide.

I notice she’s also changed into more comfortable clothes and that she’s let her hair down. She let go of my hand and just looked at me for a while and then she smiled. She looked the same, Kim Dahyun.

_Her eyes, whenever she smiles they smile along. Her pale skin glowed, as usual._

Looking at her, I remember so many things. She’d seem quite the joker. I mean, she’s really funny and she often made me laugh before. She’s really cheerful and bright. I can still remember her bright eye-smile. Her appearance hasn’t changed at all.

But, Kim Dahyun isn’t all sunshine and happiness. Don’t let the facade fool you, she may project herself as easy-going and funny, but she’s really more than that. She’s got this duality. I only got to know that other side of her when we started dating. 

“What are you talking about, Son Chaeyoung?” She smiled. She looked at the sky and then just shrugged. “Don’t act like this is something new to you. Remember? We used to meet like this. We met in places that are hidden.” She looked at me. Her gaze piercing through my body. 

I was caught off guard with what came out of her mouth. I just blink, trying to keep my cool. Why is she attacking me all of a sudden? 

“Get straight to the point, Kim Dahyun.” I look at her. My tone, I try to make it sound cold. I notice that her facial expression turned a little hurt. 

“Straight to the point? First of all, we’re not straight.” She jokingly said. She forced a smile. I can see she’s trying hard to make our conversation work. I look at her with a softer gaze and just give her a smile.

“That’s how you became my ex-girlfriend in the first place.” I chuckle and so does Dahyun. She looked at me and suddenly her fingers reached for my hair.

“Your hair is still damp. Don’t go out like this, you’ll get sick.” She looked at me softly. I nod and reached for her hand and slowly put it down. I smile at her weakly. 

_I don’t want her to get the wrong idea._

“What is it, Dahyun-ah?” I looked at her. “Is there really something that we should be talking about?” She looked at me and shrugged.

“I don’t know. You tell me, is there something that we should be talking about?” She says this in a serious tone while looking me straight in the eye. Honestly, I never envisioned to cross paths with her again, therefore, I never envisioned for something like this to happen. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I deny. I’m so sure that I sounded really hesitant when I said this. She’s still got this blank face. 

“You don’t know? That’s it? Bullshit.” She sounded really frustrated and offended. She’s right, how can I say that? How can I act so innocent? 

“Kim Dahyun, please. Can we talk about this some other time?” I ask her, trying to avoid the subject. She looked offended as if she couldn’t believe what was coming out of my mouth.

“No. We can’t.” Her voice trembled, I just look away. I don’t want to see her this way. It hurt me, seeing her like this. Though things between us aren’t the same as before, I still care for her. Hearing her voice tremble made my heart twitch. “It’s been two damn years, I’m lucky enough for such a coincidental event happen to me.” She sounded firm, as if trying to hold back her emotions. 

“Kim Dahyun.” I look at her. “I’m sorry.” Those were the words that came out of my mouth. She looked pained, my heart felt heavy the moment I saw her looking like this. I wanted to hold her but I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.

“What happened to us?” She whispered and she looked around. I looked at her and her eyes, they were sad. Honestly, I don’t know what happened to us either. I smiled and walked past her towards the nearest wall. I leaned my back against the wall and looked at her. She turned around and just looked at me.

“I don’t know.” I check my fingernails, refusing to look her in the eye. “Kim Dahyun, are things still unclear to you?” I looked up and there she was walking towards the spot beside me. She leaned her back against the wall too. 

“You think telling me we shouldn’t see each other was clear?” She chuckled and looked up at the sky. “Yah, Son Chaeyoung! Your exact words were ‘Let’s not see each other anymore.’ and you literally just left after attending my graduation.” She was shaking her head in disapproval.

“Hey!” I call to her attention. “Which part don’t you understand about what I said? I made sure to tell you directly.” I tell her, I was starting to feel our moods becoming a little lighter.

She then gave me a dirty look. “Why bother going to someone’s graduation when all you’re going to say is bad news? You could’ve given me a congratulatory kiss first before breaking my heart, you evil woman.” She slightly raised her voice, just enough to make me give her my attention.

“Yah, Kim Dahyun! Give me a break. I was a kid and I didn’t know what I was doing.” I say in retaliation. It’s true, I was clueless. I looked at her with a dissatisfied look.

“But you sure knew what to do in bed.” She looks at me mockingly. I suddenly blush at what she said and without knowing I smack her shoulder.

“Yah, seriously, stop.” I laugh a little and so does she. “Don’t bring that up. It’s embarrassing.” I look at her pleadingly.

“Nothing’s embarrassing about it, stupid.” she chuckled. “We did things that were normal for couples.” She winked at me.

I smack her shoulder some more, this time though, I smacked her a little too hard to make her stop. She looks at me, her facial expression, it was annoyed.

“I’ve always wondered how you cope up with the lack of height. I’ve figured it out. You cope by hitting people.” She looks at me, her eyes giving me a warning. I smile and just try to ignore the fact that she just insulted me.

“Do you really want to know why I broke up with you?” I looked at her. She nods softly. She’s intently listening to me. 

“Well, I didn’t want to go through a long distance relationship, and it felt like I failed you as a girlfriend.” I look at her. It’s true, I did feel that I was the shittiest girlfriend. I hated it. 

“Fail me in what way?” She asks.

“Well, during that time we acted like we weren’t a couple in front of people. It felt like, I wasn’t doing enough. It felt like I was shitty since I wasn't brave enough to introduce you as someone I loved so dearly.” I look at her, my voice shaking as I am talking. I smiled at her to show her I wasn’t sad but instead my eyes started watering and I felt like my heart became increasingly heavy. “I’m sorry, Dahyun-ah. We had to end that way.” 

“Yah, Son Chaeyoung, don’t cry.” She smiled at me. I shake my head.

“I’m not crying!” I look at her. “I’m sorry, really. I wasn’t stronger.” I look down.

Silence Follows.

“Thank you.” She says.

“For what?” I look up.

“For this. For this closure. I needed this…” She glanced at me. “Also, thank you for being a part of my life.”

I look at her and smile. This person right here was everything to me back then. She was my firsts. She taught me so much in the romance department. We did things that I consider special. Funny how time really does change everything. I nod and just look at her.

“Yah, Son Chaeyoung! Don’t get the wrong idea, okay? I wanted to talk because I want us to be just friends now.” She smiles widely, her eyes disappearing in the process. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re beautiful and all that but…” she trails off and looks at me. I understand what she meant.

“So you’ve started lots of dating here, I assume?” I look at her. She smiles in embarrassment. 

“Yeah, I mean, the dating scene here is crazy. You should try it. For someone who’s bisexual like you, this place is a Haven full of treasure.” She gives me an encouraging look. I just shrug.

“Dahyun-ah…” I trail off. “If the others ask, should we tell them that we dated before?” I look at her, hoping for a clear answer.

“Only if you want to.” She looks at me. She knew everything about me. She knew what made me tick, she knew how I act, and she knew every inch of me. I look at her, blankly. “Still having a hard time getting to terms with who you really are?” She softly whispers. I look at her, she’s currently checking out her nails.

“I know who I really am.” I say under my breath. “We would not have been together before if I didn’t knew what I wanted.” I tell her. 

I do know who I am. I know what I like, I know what I don’t like. But the thing is, even though I know who I really am, I still have a hard time telling people. Am I ashamed that I’m like this? Not really. I just feel like, things like this shouldn’t be taken as a big deal. 

“It’s been two years Chaeng. After our breakup, I always thought you’d have the courage of coming out now.”

“I also thought that. But I guess I’ll always be a coward.”

“Maybe you were a coward, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a coward for the rest of your life.”

I stay silent, not really knowing what to say.

“No one’s forcing you to come out, midget.” She laughs. “Remember how you didn’t really rush things. You always took your time.”

“Yeah, you called it ‘Chaeng’s time’.” I look at her.

“Well, that’s it. Come out when you’re ready. That’s the best way of coming out.” She smiles. I just nod and realize that she’s right. There’s no need to rush things.

“So, friends?” I look at her and smile. She leans in close for a hug. We hugged each other warmly. Finally, after two years, her touch felt friendly. It didn’t feel like how it used to. Butterflies weren’t in my stomach and my heart wasn’t fluttering. To this, I smile. 

“Definitely.” she utters.

The next morning came fast. I woke up just in time to prepare myself for my classes. Tzuyu and I usually walk together to school since our class schedules almost match. This morning, though, she was nowhere to be found. After preparing myself and my things, I came out of my room and was greeted by an empty living room. Same old shit, but a different day. Everyone is usually busy doing their own thing during this time of the day, so whatever. 

The University where I go to is relatively near where I live. I guess, the walk would only be less than twenty minutes. The walk to the University I’d say is pleasant. The way to the place is surrounded by trees which makes my walk very tolerable. That’s the primary reason why I like walking to school. Since the sidewalks leading up to school is filled with trees, walking to school would not make me sweat.

After less than twenty minutes of Walking I finally arrive. The school, I’d say is huge. Before entering the gate, I swipe my identification card in order for the gate to open. I walk in and start walking to the nearest seat that offered a shade. I needed to check my phone first. I still had time to scroll through my feed since my class doesn’t start until 30 minutes from now. As I opened my phone, I realize I have received a text from a group chat in a class that I belong to. I click for the message and read the text.

  
  


[KAKAO TALK]

_Class Representative:_

Today’s class is cancelled due to a conference which our professor shall attend. There will be no substitute. Use this time well to study! Have a Good day.

I look at the text blankly. What the heck am I supposed to do now? This class is supposed to be my only class for today. I just shrug and look around. Geez. It's times like this that make me wish that I have Tzuyu with me. Even though that tree annoys me a lot, I’d still take her company anytime.

Even though I’m a little annoyed, I’ve decided to just walk back home and take a day off. I stand up and start walking, still clutching my phone in my right hand. I walk slowly when all of a sudden my phone rings. I take a look at who's calling and see it’s my little brother. I answer it immediately.

“Hoon-ah. What’s up?” I greeted him with a bright voice.

“I just wanted to check up on you, noona.” He replies with a subtle gentleness in his voice.

“Is that so? You miss your noona, didn’t you?” I tease him, making it really obvious with my tone.

“Nope. Mom made me call you.” My little brother’s voice sounded flat. I chuckle.

“YAH---”

I was cut off when all of a sudden somebody bumps into me. Our collision was so strong that it made me drop my phone and books in the process. I quickly kneeled down to pick up my books and phone when all of a sudden, a hand suddenly reached for my phone which made me stand straight.

“Yah, next time when walking use your eyes so that you don’t bump into people.” I mutter in an annoyed tone. The moment I look up, I see a guy looking straight at me. He’s just looking at me blankly. I look at him back. He then snaps into reality and profusely bows.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!” he utters in total regret. I immediately realize that my brother might still be on the other line so I quickly took my phone back and indeed my brother still is on the other line. I quickly put myself on the line and talk to my brother.

“Yah, Hoon-ah. Noona will call you back later. Okay?” I assure my brother and hang up. I immediately look up and the guy is still there. His cheeks visibly flushed from embarrassment. I look at him with a piercing gaze.

“I’m so sorry I bumped into you. I will be more careful next time.” He says as he bowed very low. Is he really bowing in respect or is he trying to hide his face? “I’m so sorry! Let me make it up to you. I will pay for the damages I’ve done.”

The moment I heard the word ‘damage’ I immediately looked at my phone and see that on my phone’s lower left screen, there’s a crack. I look at it carefully and realize the crack was only on the tempered glass. I sigh in relief. I look at him.

“No, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter. Just forget it.” I mutter in a flat tone. He looks at me.

“Please don’t say that. I’d be glad to pay.” He insists.

“I said you don’t have to.” I say firmly and was about to walk away when all of a sudden the guy started walking along my side. I looked at him, confused.

“Can I at least treat you to lunch?” He looked at me pleadingly. His voice full of worry.

I look at him and notice that he’s trying his best to say sorry so I slow my pace down. I see that he’s pretty cute, he looks clean, good hair, he’s tall, and he dresses pretty well. I Stop and look at him directly.

“One lunch and that’s it. Okay?” I look at him. He smiles and I unknowingly smile too.

We both agreed to eat at a bakery near my place since I wasn’t really in the mood to go someplace far. I don’t really know why I agreed to eat lunch with some stranger but I just really felt sorry for sounding too mean to him. Besides, he’s actually cute.

“Hey, you should sit here while I order.” He looks at me. I shake my head in retaliation.

“Nope, let’s order together.” I look at him. I don’t know what’s so amusing with whatever I said because he suddenly smiled. I just shrug what I saw off and walked towards the counter alongside him. The moment we arrived at the counter we ordered our food. Out of nowhere, a familiar face cleaning on the counters shocked me.

“Jeongyeon unnie.” I say as I am obviously shocked. She looked totally different. Professional even. She looked at me and then smiled. She then noticed the person beside me and her smile withered away. She looked confused.

“Oh, it’s short-limbs Chaengie. What’s up?” She looked at me while still cleaning the shelves.

“Oh, I was just about to grab something to eat unnie.” I smile. “Part-time job?” I ask, even though the answer is pretty obvious. She just nods joyfully. So this unnie works at a Bake house. That’s pretty neat.

“Who’s the stranger?” She asks in a hushed tone as the guy I am with pays for the food. I suddenly realize that I am currently having lunch with a person whose name I don't even know. I scratch my head in frustration.

“Hello, I’m Jung Min Woo.” The guy suddenly introduced himself to Jeongyeon unnie whilst he’s still at the counter. I shudder; does he have a super hearing ability or something?

Right after Min Woo introduced himself he suddenly walks towards our direction and he stood beside me boldly. He tells me we should go and sit down since our food was about to be served. I just agree, I tell Jeongyeon unnie I had to go, and we both walk towards our table. Moments later, the food he ordered arrives and we start to eat. While eating I take short glances at Min Woo. He notices this and then smiles.

“I’m sorry.” He stops eating and then he bites his lower lip. “Geez, this is so awkward. It’s not too late to introduce myself, right?” When he smiled, his eyes smiled as well. I just nod.

“My name’s Jung Min Woo. I study Architecture at Seoul National University.” He reaches his hand out for a handshake and I shake his hand out of respect.

“My name’s Son Chaeyoung. I am majoring in Fine Arts at Seoul National University.” I tell him as I take another bite of my food. He just nods.

“Hey, I’m really sorry. You know, about what happened a while ago.” He smiles.

“Do you always smile when you talk? Like, are you always in a good mood?” I genuinely ask him. Since you know, I’m curious. He looked at me, he looked a little shaken with my question. What? Is this the first time some girl asked him something so obvious.

“I mean, I have teeth so…I don’t see anything wrong with me smiling.” He looked at me. Is he trying to make a joke or something?

“For someone who studies Architecture, you’re pretty dull.” I mutter. I wanted to challenge him.

“What?” he looks up. His eyes looked confused.

“You didn’t hear what I said?” I ask him. He just shakes his head. “That only proves my point.” I laugh and then he also laughs. The funny thing is I’m laughing at how dull he is and now he’s laughing with me. What is happening to me? Is Tzuyu taking over my body?

We continue eating more and after a little while we both finish. He then looks at me and nods.

“Should I walk you home?” He asks. I looked at him. I just shrug.

“I don’t know. Should you?” I tease him. He just smiles and then he nods. “But, before that, I have to buy something for the people at my place.”

Right before Min Woo and I headed outside, I opted to buy Tzuyu bread. The Demon tree may sometimes give me headache and frustrate me, but I still care for her. I know how much she loves bread. My conscience would just bug me if I didn’t buy her bread. The girl came all the way from Taiwan to study here, buying her bread is the least I could do for her. After buying bread, Min Woo and I started walking home.

In all honesty, I do not know why I’m letting a complete stranger walk me home. He doesn’t give me the wrong vibe though, he seems alright and well behaved. I’ll just make sure not to let my guard down. Jung Min Woo, this guy is tall. He’s towering over me. I’d estimate him to be at least 180 cm.

During our walk home, we didn’t really talk. I’m really a talker to people that I am not familiar with. We just walked in silence. It’s almost a quarter to 4 pm right now so the air isn’t as hot as it was a while ago. The walk became comfortable because of this. As we walked some more, I’m already seeing my place. It was less than 30 feet away. To this, I halted and looked at him.

“I’m fine right here.” I tell him. “Thank you, for lunch.” I tell him politely. He just nods and as I was about to walk away when he says something that caught me off-guard.

“Can I at least get your number?” I turn around and look at him. He looked a little hopeful; I can see it in his eyes. I looked at him confused.

“I mean, Son Chaeyoung. I still want to repay you for the crack I’ve caused your tempered glass.” He tried to explain.

_Bullshit._

I wasn’t born yesterday. I know how the world works. I may not be an expert with identifying social cues, but I do know a little bit. This guy right here, Jung Min Woo is obviously trying to flirt with me. I smile at how abashed he got when I stared. I, Son Chaeyoung, a raging bisexual admit that I find this guy attractive. What’s not to like? He’s polite, he’s got great hair, he’s got this eye-smile that is to die for, and most of all he’s tall.

I walked towards him and reach my hand out, signaling him to hand me his phone. The moment his phone touched my hands, I typed my number and Kakao ID in. I smiled at him, he blushes.

“Be sure to pay for my tempered glass…” I trail off; implying that I know his reasoning was stupid. Who pays for a broken tempered glass? 

Right after we exchanged numbers I made sure that he goes ahead first. Even though I became all flirty with him, I don’t want him to know where I live, yet. Right after he’s gone, I walk to my place while holding the bag that contained the bread I bought. As I walk past the dorm’s gate, I wonder if I was trying too hard in flirting with Min Woo. I don’t know, honestly, I think I’m just bored.

As I enter the place, I hear sounds coming from inside the living room. As the sound got clearer, I realized the noise was coming from the television.

_Good timing. I miss having company._

I quickly walked towards the living room and only see one person chilling and watching television in there. She was lying on her side on the sofa and she’s covered with a blanket. She looked like a rock, to be honest. Also, it seemed like she hasn’t moved from that position for weeks. I walk closer and smile when I see who it is.

“You’ll get bed sores if you stay in that position for too long, Mina unnie.” I smile at her brightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please don’t forget to comment down below! If you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Have a good day!


	4. I like talking to you, Unnie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t forget to comment down below! Share this with your friends, cause they might enjoy this too! Anyway, if you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Please enjoy the read!

As I enter our dorm, I hear sounds coming from inside the living room. As the sound got clearer, I realized the noise was coming from the television.

_Good timing. I miss having company._

I quickly walked towards the living room and only see one person chilling and watching television in there. She was lying on her side on the sofa and she’s covered by a blanket. She looked like a rock to be honest and it seemed like she hasn’t moved from that position for weeks. I walk closer and smile when I see who it is.

**“You’ll get bed sores if you stay in that position for too long, Mina unnie.”**

She looked up and was obviously flustered by my greeting. She stood up and sat down hurriedly not really looking me in the eye. I found that strange since she’s usually really collected. I decided to sit on the one person couch adjacent to where Mina unnie was seated. I looked at her and she’s just watching television, is she not going to say hi or something?

_Is she usually this quiet?_

I look at my hand and realize that I had brought bread. I looked at her and decided to give her some.

 **“Here you go. I picked it up on the way here.”** I tossed her the bag containing the bread gently. I subtly smile at her. She gives me a side glance and then she smiles, subtly too. As if she didn’t want me to see her smile. 

_She’s not very good at being subtle._

**“Why are you sitting so far away?”** She looked at me, of course, I’m staring back at her. **“Come sit here, beside me.”** She pats the spot next to her. I nod and plop right next to her. She looks at me and then she smiles, a warm smile. It’s as if she’s telling me she’s glad to have company.

 **“How come you’re home early unnie?”** I look at her. She just looks at me blankly. **“I mean, usually you’re not here at this hour.”** I try to save our conversation. She suddenly smiles, it’s nice seeing her smile like that. I think it looks refreshing of her. 

**“Are you keeping track of my time?”** She says teasingly. My eyes widen, I mean her response was quite amusing and unnecessary. I just smile at her, trying to be polite. 

**“Eh? It’s not like that!”** I protest, my tone slightly becoming higher for every word that comes out of my mouth. 

**“Why? Don’t you like it when I’m here?”** She teasingly says as she opens the bag of bread that I bought. She looks at me and pops a bread roll in her mouth, I assume she’s waiting for an answer. 

**“Eh? I mean …”** I trail off as I try to figure out what to say. I mean, I like it when I have company. Who doesn’t like a little company from time to time? What type of question is she asking? What is she trying to do? Questions started filling my head.

She suddenly smiles and ruffles my hair gently, her hand slowly sliding from the top of my head to my cheeks. She then does something unexpected, she pinches my cheeks. All I could do was stare at her, as I feel my cheeks started to feel a little hot. I feel like I’ve been choked, figuratively I mean. Is she even real?

 **“Goodness, I’m just messing with you.”** She takes her hand back. She then turns her attention back to the television. **“I don’t have class today. Since the faculty is having some type of meeting. Our professor did not have a substitute.”** Mina says without looking at me.

I look at her. Isn’t this a coincidence?

 **“That’s funny because I didn't have my class today due to the same reason!”** I blurt out.

 **“That’s because I also go to Seoul National University, Chaeng.”** She stares at me. I look at her, I was obviously confused. How does she know which University I go to?

 **“Did I ever tell you I go to Seoul National University unnie?”** I look at her. I never remembered telling her where I study. I wait for her to answer. She looked a little shaken when I ask her how she knew which University I attend.

 **“That’s because…”** She trails off, she gave me the side-eye. **“You know, Minatozaki Sana.”** She then nods her head as if trying to agree with what’s coming out of her mouth. 

**“What?”** I ask her since she’s not making any sense. She’s completely talking in phrases. **“Use your words, Unnie.”** I nudge her gently and teasingly, I see her mouth form a small smile but it quickly faded. 

**“Minatozaki Sana is very talkative. Words just come flying out of her mouth.”** Says Mina. She then turns her attention to the television again.

She’s not wrong though, Sana Unnie does tend to talk a lot. I assume Sana Unnie found out where I study since Tzuyu and her are pretty close. I just shrug and believe whatever she said.

 **“It’s a shame I don’t see you around the University.”** I mutter under my breath, she looks up and I see her nod. 

**“Maybe we’ll bump into each other some time.”** She looks at me. **“I’ll treat you and Tzuyu to lunch if we ever bump into each other. If that’s okay with you?”** Mina unnie asks. 

**“I can’t say no to free food.”** I smile at her, she smiles back. Her smile, it was timid but how do I describe it? It’s timid but I know she meant it.

 **“Anyway, I’ve always wanted to know. What do you major in?”** I blurt out without hesitation. Even I am taken aback by how fast my thoughts travel to my mouth when talking to her.

At this point I really just want to save our conversation. Usually, I do not make an effort in conversations. If it dies, then it dies. I couldn’t care less when there’s dead air between me and the person I am talking to. 

However, for some reason, I do not want my conversation with Mina to end. It’s probably because I want to know her more. Halting our conversation felt wrong. I just want to talk to her. To me, she seemed like a very interesting person. She seemed really cool, I guess I just don’t want her to stop talking. Hearing her voice when she talked and also looking at her made me feel at ease. Talking to her felt soothing. I don’t want this feeling to stop.

She looked at me and then she reached for the remote control. She pressed the power button and then placed the remote on the coffee table. She faced me and tried to sit more comfortably on the sofa. I scoot a little bit back to give us space. It just felt like there wasn’t enough space between us, I wasn’t comfortable with that.

 **“It felt rude to have the television still running while talking to you.”** She mutters and I nod in agreement. **“Well, I am currently studying Political science as my pre-law course.”** She mutters.

 **“But why?”** I ask her, almost automatically. She tilted her head to the side, she had his confused look painted on her face.

 **“What?”** She chuckles softly. 

**“You know, how did you decide to take up Political science as your major?”** I was genuinely confused. How can someone be this cool? She’s obviously gorgeous and she studies Political science? How cool is that? 

**“Well, for one, my mom is a lawyer in Japan.”** She answers enthusiastically. She pauses for a while as if she’s left out something. **“I’m from Japan anyway.”** She mumbles. I chuckle with what she later says.

 **“Of course I know where you’re from unnie. You think I wouldn’t have figured that out?”** She looks at me coyly at first and then she just transitions to smiling brightly.

 **“So you must have done your research about your roommates, huh?”** She asks me. I snicker and nod.

 **“Of course. I have to at least know you guys a little.”** I answer. 

**“Was your informant Chou Tzuyu?”** She asks. I smile at her mischievously.

 **“And Sana Unnie is your informant. I think it’s only fair for me to have my own informant.”** I snigger at her. She gives me a well-played look. **“So I guess you’re always busy?”** I ask Mina.

 **“You could say that but what type of college student isn’t busy, right?”** She answers as she runs her fingers through her hair. She then turned her gaze to me and pressed her lips together. Her gaze, it always seemed to pierce through me. It’s as if she’s trying to figure me out.

 **“You’re majoring in Fine arts, right?”** she asked. I just nod and do not question how she knew what I major in. I’m pretty sure her informant is nonother than Sana unnie.

 **“Why? Do you want me to draw you?”** I jokingly ask her. Her eyebrows suddenly lift up. I’m not sure but she seemed pretty intrigued. She then smirked at me.

 **“Sure. I want to see how well you can draw me.”** She answers in a daring tone.

 **“Wait. I was just kidding. ”** I smile at her coyly.

 **“You shouldn’t say things if you can’t actually do them.”** She pretended to look disappointed but I knew, in reality, she’s just waiting for me to actually respond to what she’s saying.

I stand up and grab my bag which contained a notebook and a ball pen. I sat right next to her again and I pretended to measure her face using my pen. I was pretending to angle her face, but honestly, it was just an excuse to look at her more. She chuckled with what I did while shaking her head. She must be thinking that I’m some type of idiot.

 **“Please draw me well, Chaengie.”** She says in a cute way. I throw her a disgusted look. Did she really just act cute in front of me? It wasn’t bad but it felt weird.

I started to draw lines until a figure started to form. It felt like she was trying to peek at my sketch so I continuously had to hug my notebook from time to time.

 **“No peeking!”** I try to say in a serious tone but ultimately fail and I end up chuckling as I hug my notebook. She then would just act as if I’m accusing of something nonsensical.

 **“You still don’t have a nickname in our group chat…”** she mumbled. I look up from my notebook and I look at her. I just nod and then go back to sketching.

 **“Now that I’m thinking about it, you look like a baby beast.”** She softly says. This time I wasn’t really talking much, I was still trying to focus on the sketch that I am doing.

 **“Whenever you smile, your canine teeth stick out so cutely and it makes you look like a baby lion or tiger. You look like a cub.”** She mutters.

I briefly pause when she said that but then continued moments later. Did she just say I look like a cub? Whenever I smiled? Does that mean she’s looking at me whenever I smiled? I try to brush off whatever she said and continued sketching but my cheeks, they cannot lie, they started to feel hot. I try to regain composure but I ended up grinning, subtly. Good thing my head was still facing down at my notebook.

 **“Did Sana unnie tell you that?”** I ask her while my head was still looking down at my notebook. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.

 **“Yeah, she talks about you a lot.”** She replies flatly. I sigh. That wasn’t the greatest response but I guess that’ll have to do.

I finish my sketch moments later and I look at her. I smiled as I viewed my work. It completely looks like her, I smile to myself.

 **“Done. Are you ready?”** I ask her. She looks at me and nods. I rip the sketch from my notebook and then hand it to her. I look at how she would react.

She looked at me and we both laughed. What I drew wasn’t exactly her portrait. Well, I drew her that’s for sure but not in her human form. I drew a cute penguin. At first, I was really supposed to sketch her but when she mentioned I looked like a cub, I just decided maybe she’d love a drawing of a penguin.

 **“You drew me so well.”** She smiles.

 **“It’s like I’m seeing two of you.”** I chuckle.

 **“You did great. I love it. I might even frame this and hang it in my room.”** She says.

It felt nice to draw something for someone. I felt somehow proud that Mina unnie loved what I drew for her. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a notification from Kakaotalk. I turn my gaze to Mina unnie who was already looking at me. She was obviously eyeing my reaction. 

**[KAKAO TALK]**

***Penguin has set Son Chaeyoung’s name to Simba***

**“Do I really look like Simba?”** I ask her. She nods. I look at her and she’s still holding my drawing carefully. **“Want to make the others jealous?”** I ask her.

 **“Eh? How does that work?”** she asks genuinely.

 **“Let’s send them a pic of us while you hold my sketch!”** I beam. She looked at me funnily, as if what I just said was too childish.

 **“Are you sure you’re not just bragging about your drawing skills?”** She asks me teasingly. I look at her and shrug. I immediately grab my phone and click the camera. The moment the front cam points at us she holds my sketch out and we both take a picture. I scoot closer and lean my head closer to hers. She leaned her head on my head and I take a picture.

I send one of our pictures in the GC and type in a caption.

**[KAKAO TALK]**

**Simba:** Look! I sketched Mina Unnie! Don’t they look exactly the same? HAHAHA

 **Goddess:** I want one too!

 **Goddess:** Promise me you’ll draw me like one of your French girls

 **Penguin:** ._.

 **Snack:** I never knew you drew so well!

 **Goddess:** Doesn’t she draw well? Daebak …

 **Penguin:** She drew me well~

 **Demon Tree:** She wouldn’t be an art major if she’s shit at drawing.

 **Simba:** Thank you, Unnies! <3

 **Simba:** Shut up, long limbs.

 **Snack:** Yah, Son Chaeyoung. Promise me you’ll sketch me some other time too!

 **Goddess:** Me too! You’ll be blessed with my beauty. I’m clearly the visual in our house.

 **Demon Tree:** You’ve got huge teeth. What’s visual worthy about that?

 **Penguin:** Chou Tzuyu!

 **Snack:** HAHAHAHA NAYEON UNNIE DOES HAVE CUTE FRONT TEETH

 **Simba:** Yah, Chou Tzuyu. I bought you bread. Come home, so you can enjoy these.

 **Goddess:** CHOU TZUYU! I HOPE YOU GROW UP TO 6 FEET!

 **Demon Tree:** I hope your buck teeth fall off! :P

I look over Mina Unnie and I see her laughing as our thread continues. I just look at her. I notice how delicate she looked. I smile to myself. She suddenly looked up and noticed I was looking at her. I immediately take my eyes off of her. I look at the ceiling and an awkward silence follows. I lean my back on the sofa and look over Mina unnie. She’s laying her head on the sofa.

 **“Sleepy?”** I ask her. 

She looks up, she had a way of looking at people. When she stared, her eyes pierced through people. I notice a lot more things about her face. Like how every time I get to see her this close I always fixate my attention at her moles. Every time I look at them, the more they become charming. Her bangs effortlessly fell over her forehead. How can someone be so effortlessly elegant? 

_Can I please at least look half as attractive as her?_

**“Quite the exact opposite, really.”** She mumbles as she closed her eyes while on the couch.

**“How come?”** I bug her some more.

 **“I’ve been having difficulty sleeping these past few days.”** She says weakly. She sighs and opens her eyes. **“I just can’t sleep.”** she adds. 

**“Maybe that’s because you’re overworking yourself.”** I suggest. 

**“Maybe.”** She answers flatly.

 **“You know, drinking tea and taking a hot shower helps me sleep.”** I tell her, softly.

**“I haven’t tried those things.”**

**“I should give you a bath.”** I say. She suddenly looks at me straight in the eye. She looked shocked, her cheeks flushed. I realized I unknowingly said something stupid.

_I should give you a bath? What the hell Son Chaeyoung? Are you a fucking animal or something?_

**“A what?”** She lifts her head up and looks at me.

 **“A bath bomb. I should give you a bath bomb.”** I chuckle, hoping she wouldn’t detect the nervousness in my voice. **“You didn’t let me finish.”** I laugh and she just ignores me.

She sits straight and nods. I looked at her. She looks tired like she hasn’t slept for days. But nonetheless, she still looked elegantly amazing. She stands up and heads for her room. I stand up and head for my room, since now I’m obliged to get her bath bombs because I can’t get my thoughts right. I hold it tightly around my fingers.

**“I should give you a bath?”** I mockingly whisper to myself. **“I’m such a waste of space, damn it. Who the hell says that? Oh, God. She must think I’m a pervert.”** I whine. I hit my head with my hand. I’m such a mess.

I head straight out of my room and place the bath bomb on the kitchen table. I walk over the stove and start heating water. 

**“I’m doomed.”** I whisper to myself.

I walk towards the kitchen table and sit on it while waiting for the water to boil. Moments later, the kettle echoed which meant the water is ready. I quickly grab a cup and a teabag from the cupboard and prepare the tea.

Right after I’ve prepared whatever she needed, I walk towards Mina unnie’s room with a cup of tea on my right hand and my left hand clutching on the bath bomb. I knock on her door using my left hand. There was no answer. I’m pretty sure she’s still inside waiting since I do not hear the water running inside the bathroom. I knocked again, this time there was still no answer. I’ve decided to just go inside her room since what I am carrying wasn’t getting any lighter. The door was unlocked. The moment I entered her room, I see Mina lying on top of her bed. She looked asleep. The lights were turned on. I place the tea and the bath bomb on her dresser.

_How can someone look like an absolute angel when asleep?_

I just look at her. I didn’t dare go near her. I don’t want to wake her up. She needed sleep. So I turn off the lights and turn on the ceiling fan.

_The poor girl’s so stressed, I wish she’d take it easy on herself._

I gently get out of Mina Unnie’s room. I made sure to close the door behind me gently. The moment I step out of her room I see Tzuyu sitting on the couch munching on the bread I bought. Good thing I was in a composed state because if I wasn’t, my soul would’ve jumped out of my body. She noticed me and didn’t really greet me. She even grabbed the remote for the television and pressed the power button.

 **“When did you get here?”** I ask as I walk towards her. I sit next to her.

 **“Before you and Mina unnie got here, I was already home.”** She nonchalantly answers without looking at me. **“Because unlike you guys, I actually read announcements sent to our school emails.”** She looked at me, she gave me a domineering look while still eating the bread. I give her an annoyed smile.

 **“You like the bread rolls I bought for you?”** I ask her with the remaining patience I’ve got for her.

**“Yeah, they’re pretty tasty.”**

**“So shut up and just eat it. You don’t have to ostracize me all the time! ”** I smack her shoulder. She gives me a deadpan look that sent shivers down my spine.

 **“Anyway …”** I trail off, trying to change the subject. **“Why didn’t you just come out of your room? You could have joined us.”** I ask her.

 **“Are you kidding?”** She looks at me. **“We both know you wouldn’t want that.”** She looked at me teasingly. I frown at what she said.

 **“What are you saying? Of course, I love spending time with you.”** I tell her in a cute way. I even attempted to lay my head on the Demon Tree’s shoulder but decided doing so would be too cringey.

 **“Sure you do.”** She flatly responds. **“Anyway, I’m sure I’d be left out of the conversation if I joined you guys.”** She looks at me.

 **“That’s not true, we would’ve totally had a great time.”** I tell her with an assuring voice.

 **“Did you have a great time?”** she asks me, her eyes, they were teasing me.

 **“Yeah, you could say that.”** I nod in agreement with myself.

 **“Exactly.”** She smirked at me as if she’s telling me something. **“I’m your ‘informant’, right?”** She sniggers as she pops a bread roll in her mouth. Her eyes were smiling. She’s obviously teasing me.

 **“Yah, Chou Tzuyu! Were you listening to our conversation the whole time?”** I ask her.

 **“I got bored.”** She flatly replies.

 **“You’re just so sly, you know that right?”** I laugh at her.

 **“You’re even more cunning than me. We both know I’m not your ‘informant’. You’re obviously stalking Mina Unnie.”** She smiles at me freakily. My mouth gaped open.

 **“Yah. Don’t be stupid. I’m not a stalker!”** I look at her seriously.

 **“Yes you are.”** She’s nodding her head as she says this.

**“Why? Because I know she’s Japanese? That makes me a stalker?”**

**“Yeah.”**

**“Her last name is “Myoui”, it screams Japanese.”** I tell her.

**“Hey, that’s fucking racist.”** She shakes her head, her tone was teasing.

I get a hold of her arm as I whisper. **“Sure, maybe I looked her up a couple of times. Who cares? I said a white lie.”** I whisper as I squeeze her arm gently. She looks at me blankly, she then yanked her arm away from me.

 **“I was just joking, Stalker. Quit being so violent, geez.”** She smiled. 

_EH?_

How dare this giant talk about violence when she’s basically almost a masochist. All of a sudden I heard the front door open and footsteps coming towards our direction.

 **“Who hurt Tzuyu?”** Sana Unnie blurts out.

Just moments after Sana came in, Nayeon followed with a confused look on her face.

 **“Yah, be realistic Minatozaki.”** Nayeon unnie puts her arm around Sana unnie’s shoulder and looks at our direction. Sana unnie looks at Nayeon with a cute and confused look.

 **“Realistic about what, unnie?”** the girl who looked like a Shiba Inu asked.

 **“If you look at them…”** Nayeon points at me and Tzuyu. **“Tzuyu would probably be the one actually trying to kill Chaeng here.”**

 **“Don’t spout nonsense, unnie.”** Says Sana.

 **“Yah, would it make sense if Short-limbs tried to strangler Tzuyu here?”** Argues Nayeon.

Is she trying to defend me or is she trying to diss me?

 **“Son Chaeyoung! My name’s Son Chaeyoung!”** I protest but they were clearly ignoring me. I look at the giant beside me but she’s clearly having a good time listening to the unnies banter.

 **“You’re right; I bet her fingers wouldn’t even meet if she ever tried to strangle Tzuyu.”** Agrees Sana. I look at Tzuyu who obviously loves the burns I’m getting.

 **“Unnies.”** I call them in a hushed voice. They both looked at me and they just laugh. I knew they were just joking around, but I pretended to be hurt. I’ll be sure to get back at them though. I’ll burn them real bad. After they were done burning me to the ground, both of them plopped on the sofa with us. Sana Unnie sat beside Tzuyu while Nayeon Unnie sat beside me.

 **“Don’t take this personally but, when you threaten me, I feel like I’m being threatened by a cupcake.”** Says Tzuyu to me. I look at her and smack your shoulder gently.

 **“Yah! Where’s all the violence coming from?”** asks Sana as she tries to shield Tzuyu.

 **“It’s probably all the pressure trapped in her tiny body.”** Replies Nayeon unnie.

 **“All that pressure has got to get out one way or another.”** Adds Tzuyu. I give them all the death glare and they all ended up hugging me. I knew they were just kidding, but it felt like I almost wanted to hit them one by one.

The night went on with us just talking in the living room. It was fun, really. This would sound crazy but even with all the rambling from Sana unnie, the judgemental look we all got from Tzuyu, and all the weird shit that came out of Nayeon Unnie’s mouth, I can say I had fun. We talked about anything under the sun. Weird shit, really. We talked and ate. As usual, Nayeon Unnie ordered take-outs. No one in the room knew how to cook and well, it’s much easier to pay for food than cooking food.

After some time has passed, we all realized that it was already late at night. All of them wanted to sleep in the living room. They wanted us to spend more time together, but I told them maybe we should do it next time when we’re all complete. It just didn’t feel right doing something when we’re incomplete.

As the night ended, we all headed to our separate rooms. Just as I was about to sleep, I received a notification from my phone, an unknown phone number texted me. I hurriedly opened my phone to look at what the unfamiliar number texted me and was greeted by someone I’ve forgotten about after I entered our dorm.

[UNKNOWN NUMBER]

_Hey, I had a great time today. I never expected to have fun.I hope you had as much fun as I had. I hope to meet you again. Up for a second date?_

_-Jung Min Woo_

I look up from my phone. Holy shit, I totally forgot about that guy. I scratch my head in confusion. What does he mean by a second date? Did he just assume we had a date a while ago? But it clearly wasn’t a date. It was lunch. I shake my head in confusion. How the heck did I get myself into this again? Questions started to march inside my head.

_Only one thing’s certain though, Mister Pretty boy is starting to make his move._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please don’t forget to comment down below! If you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Have a good day!


	5. What's up with that sexy lingerie?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t forget to comment down below! Share this with your friends, cause they might enjoy this too! Anyway, if you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Please enjoy the read!

**KIM DAHYUN’S POINT OF VIEW**

It’s been weeks since I’ve discovered that the infamous, small bean, Son Chaeyoung lived right next to my place. The moment I laid my eyes on the small creature, I was taken aback, of course. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Looking at her, it felt like I was dreaming. Looking at her made me feel as if what I am seeing is not real, as if destiny was playing its little game on me. 

Well, Destiny’s a bitch. Destiny would play its little game on anyone randomly. Destiny has harsh games that could crush anyone’s fragile soul. All in all, fuck destiny. 

Anyway, the creature who couldn’t get past 159 cm, stared at me. I mean, we both stared at each other. We were clueless and surrounded by seven unassuming creatures. Honestly, I just never thought I’d get to see her again. I just thought, we’d never get past the awkward breakup phase. I mean, it’s her, Son Chaeyoung. She’s right in front of me. Everything felt awkward. Meeting her again was pointless really. What’s the point of seeing the girl again? It’s not like we’d want to continue where we left off. Our relationship was doomed from the beginning. What we had was bound to end badly. We knew it. For people who belong to the LGBTQ community in South Korea, things don’t end well. 

**“I see you’re brewing tea. What are you up to?”** I ask Jihyo Unnie softly so that we wouldn’t wake Jeongyeon and Momo from their sleep. It’s currently 2 am in the morning. She looks at me and smiles softly and knowingly.

 **“It’s really weird how things work, right?”** Park Jihyo handed me a cup of freshly brewed tea. She had her own cup of tea right in front of her. She sat down across me, we’re currently both seated in the kitchen table.

 **“What things are we talking about here?”** I ask her. She looks at me and then she just takes a sip from her cup.

 **“You know things in life. Like, how funny life can be sometimes.”** She looks at me and gives me an encouraging look. I just shrug and try to play cool, not really wanting to give her the upper hand in our conversation. I take small sips from my cup and glance at Jihyo unnie from time to time. I can tell that she’s still waiting for me to start talking.

 **“Do you remember when you first moved in here?”** She starts the conversation slowly but I know she’ll get to her point later. I nod and just listen to her. **“You wore that tragic looking bangs.”** She laughs as she remembers my ‘break-up’ bangs. God. I hated that look. Good thing I’ve learned to stay away from scissors after breakups now.

 **“Yah, unnie. Seriously.”** I warn her. She looks at me with a grin.

 **“I also remember how horrible you took your first breakup.”** She looks at me. This time, she had a serious look on her face. I rest my chin on my palms and just look at her, not wanting to add anything to whatever she’s saying.

 **“Some people handle breakups well, some don’t. During that time, I fell into the category of people who cannot handle it well.”** I tell her and she just nods.

 **“Why do you think we’re talking right now?”** She asks me sternly.

 **“I don’t know.”** I lie to her. Of course I know why we’re talking right now.

 **“You know you can tell me stuff, right?”** She looks at me with those kind eyes. I just smile at her flatly. The type of smile that had no life. **“That new girl, Son Chaeyoung. You know her right?”** she asks me directly.

 **“Sort of…”** I trail off as I do my best to keep eye contact with the girl who looked like Thomas the Train. She just smirks. Thomas smirked.

 **“Yah, Kim Dahyun. Stop spewing bullshit. Is she the Son Chaeyoung who broke your heart?”** I just look at her, not knowing what to say. **“Well? Is she?”** She asks again.

_I just nod._

She shakes her head in disbelief. She couldn’t take the fact that I am lying to her. She hates it when we lie to her.

 **“I was going to tell you…”** I tell her in a surrendered tone. She looks at me as if nothing real will ever come out of my mouth again. 

**“Yah. There aren’t many Son Chaeyoungs in South Korea.”** She Insisted. I just listen to her as she rambles on. **“How could I forget that name? It constantly came out of your mouth when you first came here. Ah, seriously.”** She insisted some more.

 **“I know …”** I trail off, not really knowing what to say.

 **“Ah, seriously. During that dinner weeks ago I thought it’d be a long shot that she’s the Son Chaeyoung who broke your heart.”** She rambles some more. I just listen to her, although I’m honestly bored. 

I sigh as she rambled on.

 **“When I saw how the both of you reacted towards each other, I just knew. I knew she was the ex that you constantly cried over.”** Says Jihyo unnie.

 **“Yeah, she’s the girl I’ve cried over before. She’s the reason why I had that tragic looking bangs.”** I tell her honestly. I know she’d detect bullshit. She’s like a police dog for bullshit. **“Look, it’s been two years. I’ve moved on. It’s not really a big deal.”** I look at her and take another sip from my cup of tea. She just nods in approval.

 **“Can you believe it? Of all dormitories in Korea, she randomly chose a place next to yours.”** She laughs. I just shake my head in approval to what she said. How convenient can it be?

 **“I’ll say it was a great opportunity.”** I tell her in an assuring tone.

 **“Why is that?”** The girl who looked like Thomas asked.

 **“Because I finally had the closure I deserved two years ago.”** I tell her with finality in my tone.

It’s true. I really did need the closure. I did move on, however, there was this thing in me that needed to know the reason why we broke up. Son Chaeyoung, that girl was and is still important to me. Back then, before I started University, my world was relatively smaller. I had a smaller circle and my life revolved around a very small segment of this world. Back then, she was my world. This may sound crazy, but I actually thought we’d work. I built my world around that small bean. She was my everything. She was my first love. Everything was great, or so I thought.

 **“So, you’re ready to her see date other people?”** She asks.

 **“Definitely.”** I smile at her bitterly.

The next day came fast. Everyone was busy with their own tasks and things to do. Jihyo unnie and Jeongyeon Unnie were both out for the day. Jeongyeon unnie had to work part-time at the bakery whenever her classes were over. Jihyo unnie on the other hand was busy with school work. She probably has tons of work to do. Meanwhile, for today, Momo and I were the ones left in the dormitory.

When I was a newbie in this dormitory, Jeongyeon unnie was the one who laid the ground rules for me. She didn’t really have that much rules. She just didn’t want excessive noise when it’s time for sleep and she wants the dormitory clean all the time. The rules were easy to follow. Making noises during an unholy hour of the day isn’t my thing. I’d be pissed if someone disturbed my sleep. However, it’s the cleaning I had a problem with. It’s not that I am dirty, it’s just that Jeongyeon unnie is just super clean. She’s like a clean freak. She’s like a vacuum machine.

I look over to Momo and she gives me the same look.

 **“Who’s going to sweep and mop the floor?”** I ask her.

 **“Ugh. I hate sweeping.”** She says in frustration.

 **“Okay, one will do the laundry and mop the floor. The other will Wash the dishes and sweep the floor.”** I offer her a better solution.

 **“How about we don’t do the work and just become couch potatoes. Sound good?”** She asks me, her tone was serious. Her offer sounded tempting but I knew things could end badly if I ever fell into Momo’s trap.

 **“Do you have a death wish unnie?”** I ask her. **“Not cleaning our dorm automatically meant an endless sermon from Jeong unnie.”** I tell her.

 **“You’re right. Should we just move out?”** She innocently asks. I look at her and I suddenly start laughing. Hiram Momo, is a mood and I love her for that. 

**“Stop making excuses already and let’s just clean up…”** I trail off as I look at Momo waiting for her to respond. She just gave a defeated expression.

 **“Alright then. I’ll do the laundry and mop the floor.”** She looks at me with the most pleading facial expression.

 **“For the thousand time Momo unnie, I won’t do your work for you!”** I throw my hands in exasperation. She just gave me a dirty look as she proceeded to the laundry room.

Jeongyeon Unnie created this ingenious system of doing the laundry. Since electric and water bill is shared by everyone, it is in our best interest to not spend as much. Jeongyeon unnie, the unfunny one, figured out that if we all did our laundry on the same day, we’d save on both our water and electric bill. There was always a designated person to do the laundry twice a week. We let the designated person throw our clothes in the washing machine. However, in terms of sensitive clothing like underwear, we are the ones to wash those ourselves. 

I started to sweep the floor. Since Jeongyeon unnie is insistent with keeping our dorm clean, there wasn’t really much to sweep. Right after I’ve finished sweeping, I proceeded to wash all the dishes used from breakfast. As I started scrubbing the dishes I hear Momo unnie shout from the laundry room.

**“Yah! Dubu! Come here for a second, will you?”**

**“Really? What does this girl want now?”** I mumble under my breath. **“I’m scrubbing the dishes. What do you want?”** I ask her while my attention was on the dirty dishes.

I hear Momo stomp her way from the laundry room to the kitchen. Her stomps suggested she was annoyed.

 **“Yah! Isn’t this too much? This should be illegal.”** Complains the child. I sigh and just continue scrubbing the remaining dishes. I hear her sigh heavily.

 **“Yah! Aren’t underwear and lingerie supposed to be washed separately?”** Momo whines as I still scrub the used cups in the sink. I roll my eyes because I am sure I have separated my underwear from my clothes.

 **“Those aren’t mine. I’ve separated my undies.”** I reply without turning my back to look at her. I hear her whine some more.

 **“Then whose are these panties? They look expensive…”** She trails off. I slow my pace in washing the dishes. **“I never thought someone in our dorm would actually wear stuff like this.”** She says. Her tone suggested she was amused. I stop what I was doing and started to rinse my hands. I dried them right before turning around to see what she was talking about.

 **“Do you think I’d look good in this?”** She asks as she used a clamp to hold the laced lingerie. It’s a panty. It was colored red and it had ribbons on its sides. I almost gasp the moment I saw the lingerie. I immediately snatched the lingerie out of Momo’s clamp and quickly put it in my pocket. I didn’t care if the item was dishevelled in my pocket, all I know is it needed to be hidden.

Momo looked at me weirdly. She gave me an accusing stare.

 **“I thought you said that you’ve separated your undies?”** She asks bossily. I look at her as if I don’t know what she’s talking about.

 **“Well, I guess I was wrong about that.”** I tell her. My voice was shaking. She looks at me and then she smiles mischievously.

 **“I didn’t know our Dubu has a kinky side.”** She nudges me and winks. She then started walking off towards the laundry room to continue her task.

 **“You didn’t see anything!”** I shout just enough for her to hear me. She doesn’t respond. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. **“I’ll buy you Jokbal if you promise not to tell anyone!”** I try to negotiate with her. Momo then starts to peak out of the Laundry room’s door, she stares at me with her big eyes.

 **“Buy me two and I’ll take your secret to my grave.”** She smiles widely.

Momo and I finished our chores after lunch. Everyone in our dorm has decided to meet up where Jeongyeon unnie works. Ever since she started working there, Momo, Jihyo unnie, and I have somehow unconsciously wanted to always hang out there. We usually do this whenever Jeongyeon unnie has finished her shift. Since the bakery is located near our dormitory, we usually just walk whenever we pay a visit .

 **“A quick question.”** Asks Momo as we were walking. I look at her and nodded as a sign for her to proceed. **“Who do you like more? Me or Jihyo?”** the girl nonchalantly asks.

I looked at her blankly.

 **“Yah! Dahyun-ah! Who do you like more?”** She pouts while we were walking.

I’m so done with this girl. Seriously.

 **“Jeongyeon Unnie.”** I answer as I stick my tongue out. She gives me a dirty glare.

 **“No, seriously. You like me more, right?”** She asks cutely as she clings on to my arm. 

**“You’re acting weird, unnie.”** I look at her. My energy level was getting lower the longer I spend more time with her. She gives me a look of disbelief, she lets go of my arm.

 **“Who would’ve thought that a church girl like you, would wear such cute lingerie? Kinky girl.”** she starts teasing me. My mouth gaped open.

 **“The Bible didn’t say anything against sexy lingerie.”** I tell her.

 **“The Bible played you.”** Momo stuck her tongue out. I roll my eyes in disbelief with how petty she can get.

 **“Jesus loves me no matter what.”** I answer her, this time I feel my energy really faltering. 

**“Don’t drag Jesus into this!”** She gasps as she covers her mouth with her hands.

 **“Should I drag you instead?”** I told her in an annoyed tone.

 **“Only if you’d drag me to your room.”** She starts teasing me. 

**“YAH---“**

I was ready to curse Momo unnie when all of a sudden some guy collided with me, making me lose my balance. I fell straight to the ground landing on my butt. I see Momo unnie’s reaction, her mouth was wide open. I was about to reach out to Momo for help when out of nowhere a hand reaches out to me.

 **“Oh my god. I’m so sorry. Let me help you up.”** The guy offered his hand. I got a hold of his hand and immediately stood up. As I stood up, Momo unnie was my helping hand. She literally dusted me off. I also dusted myself off not minding the guy who collided with me.

 **“This must be yours.”** The guy hands me my phone. I took it and stared at him. He’s tall, has good hair, and I have to say he’s quite good looking. He stared at me back and then he realized I was waiting for him to talk. **“Oh yeah. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking---“**

 **“Yah. You have eyes for a reason. Use them.”** That was Momo unnie on her stealth mode. I look at him and notice he was taken aback by what Momo Unnie said.

 **“I’m so sorry.”** The guy bowed down really low. I take a look at my phone and realize my phone is fine and no damages were done. I just shrug and look at Momo. She gave me a blank stare.

 **“You should be more careful next time. Look where you’re going. Be more attentive with your surroundings.”** I tell the guy in my most calm voice possible. I look at Momo unnie and she’s giving me the look of approval.

 **“I’m really sorry. What should I do to make it up to you guys?”** he asks in a concerned voice.

 **“Nothing. Just don’t bump into people no more.”** Momo unnie replies flatly. After Momo unnie’s statement, the three of us went silent and we just looked at each other awkwardly.

 **“I’m Dahyun; the girl beside me is Momo.”** I tell the guy as I offer my hand for a handshake. The guy looks my hand and he smiles. He takes it and shakes it firmly.

**“I’m Min Woo. Jung Min Woo.”**

**“Yeah. That’s great. Nice to meet you but Dahyun and I have to skedaddle. We’ve got stuff to do.”** Momo unnie grabs my hand and she starts walking fast. She was walking away from the guy while still holding my hand. When she notices we’re both out of the guy’s sight, Momo unnie halts.

 **“Yah. Kim Dahyun. Next time don’t socialize like that.”** She tells me in a blank tone.

 **“I’m sorry but I was just trying to be nice.”** I defend myself. 

**“You’re too trusting. What I’m trying to tell you is, you shouldn’t talk to strangers. There are a lot of crazy people out there.”** She warns me. I just nod and agree. Even though Momo unnie sometimes come off as child-like, she’s still older and I have to listen to her from time to time.

After our little discussion, we’ve decided to wait for a little while before proceeding to the bakery. Luckily, the unnies weren’t annoyed that we were late. All Jeongyeon unnie cared about was the chores. She persistently asked if we have completed the chores.

_Darn. What a nag._

**“You guys get whatever drinks you want. I’ll be paying.”** Says Jihyo unnie.

 **“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll pay for the food.”** Adds Jeongyeon unnie.

Momo and I smile. Doing the chores for today was totally worth it. I told Momo unnie to order for us since she knows what we usually order here. While Momo was doing her thing, the three of us catch up and start talking about random things. Jihyo unnie started talking about how she caught her little sister, telling us that she accidentally saw her sister with her first boyfriend. Then Jeongyeon she remembered something that happened a few weeks back.

 **“Speaking of getting caught…”** Jeongyeon Unnie trails off. This got our attention. I slowly leaned in closer to hear Jeongyeon Unnie clearly. **“Chaeyoungie…”** She trails off once more.

 **“Son Chaeyoung? The small bean living right next to us?”** asks Jihyo unnie. Jeongyeon Unnie nodded. I just listened to both of them intently.

 **“Weeks ago, I was working on my shift. It was around lunchtime that time.”** Jeongyeon unnie starts the story. Jihyo then leaned in closer to listen intently.

 **“And?”** that was Momo just standing, holding a tray of what we ordered. She was apparently listening. I motioned for her to sit down. I started to place the food on the table while the three of them conversed.

 **“Apparently she was with a guy.”** Finishes Jeongyeon Unnie.

I was taken aback by what she said but I kept my cool while listening.

 **“She doesn’t seem like the type to hide things.”** Adds Momo. I snicker at what she said.

_She is the type to hide things. She even hid our relationship._

**“You think they’re dating?”** asks Jihyo unnie as she gives me the side-eye. I ignored her and take a sip from my drink. Momo unnie looks at Jeongyeon unnie and waits for an answer.

 **“Who knows?”** Answers Jeongyeon unnie.

 **“What were they like? Were they sweet? Were they touchy?”** Asks Jihyo unnie intently. Jeongyeon unnie pauses for a while as she takes a bite from her food.

 **“They were…”** Jeongyeon unnie trails off. **“How should say it?”** she asks.

 **“You say it with your mouth. You use your mouth.”** Says Momo in a passive tone. I look at her and chuckle. What a wise-ass. **“The first step when you talk is you open your mouth---“**

 **“Yah! Of course I know that, pabo.”** Snaps Jeongyeon at Momo.

 **“Well then, start talking! You’re stalling the conversation, pabo.”** Momo snaps back at Jeongyeon.

 **“It seemed like they were getting to know each other.”** Says Jeongyeon flatly. I look over at Jihyo who already eyeing me. I give her a look that suggested her to stop whatever she’s doing. Jihyo just smiles at me, teasingly.

 **“Whatever. She’s already an adult. She can do as she pleases.”** I tell everyone and they all just nod in agreement. I take another sip from my drink and started eyeing everyone.

 **“Yeah, you’re right. Let the girl live her life.”** Momo Unnie adds.

Hearing Jeongyeon unnie’s story, I find it sort of odd. I haven’t really thought of Chaeyoung dating a guy. I mean, when we started dating, she did identify herself as bisexual. I understood that, it meant she’s into both men and women. 

But, as of now, I just can’t wrap my head around the idea of her holding a guy’s hand. I find the image weird. Cringey even. I’m not being bitter, I’m sure I’ve already moved on. Please, it’s been two years. Maybe it’s just the idea that this time she’s turning her attention to the opposite gender. Maybe it’s just the idea. We used to fuck for God’s sake. I just can’t stop myself from thinking these thoughts.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging her. But I just can’t help myself from thinking that maybe our relationship was just a ‘phase’ for her. Maybe she was just experimenting. Was she just toying with me? Was I just a pointless memory for her? Did all my feelings and efforts go to waste? Oh my goodness, we’ve already had a conversation about this! Why do I keep on hurting myself by having these useless thoughts?

 **“Anyway, Our Dubu is pretty popular these days. I envy you.”** Momo unnie nudges me and then she pouts.

 **“Yah, our Dahyun-ah does have a colorful dating life.”** Says Jeongyeon unnie teasingly.

 **“How’s that girl you’re dating ? What’s her name again?”** Asks Jihyo Unnie.

My roommates know me as a church-girl. However, amidst this image, I’ve also told them about my sexuality and preference. I do believe in God but I also believe in the LGBTQ community. At first, I really thought they’d shun me. I mean, I was ready to be not accepted. My identity is more important to me than the acceptance of the people around me. However, the thing was, all of my roommates were very accepting of my sexuality. They didn’t even make a big deal about it. They just nodded and told me they don’t really care. I loved it. I loved every bit of their reactions.

 **“Sunny? Was her name Sunny? Am I right?”** Butts in Momo unnie as she’s bites into her bread. I look at her weirdly.

 **“Sunny and I haven’t been in contact for over a year now.”** I tell Momo. I expected she knew this.

 **“Oh! Oh! Cindy! Her name’s Cindy, right?”** Says Jeongyeon unnie in a gleeful tone. I cringe when I hear the name ‘Cindy’.

_I loathed that girl._

**“Oh nooo. She hated that girl.”** Clarifies Jihyo.

 **“Sooyoung? I remember Sooyoung! Sooyoung is pretty.”** Says Momo unnie.

 **“Oh no. We never clicked really.”** I tell her confidently. **“You can have her if you want.”** I jokingly tell Momo unnie. Weirdly, her eyes lit up when I said she can have my ex.

 **“It’s Sehee, right? How’s Sehee doing?”** Asks Jihyo unnie.

 **“We broke up a couple of months ago.”** I tell them. They all look at me and then they all gave me a look of disbelief. I just give them a nervous smile. They started scolding me because they thought I’ll never be able to have a stable relationship because I was too picky. Jeongyeon unnie started telling me that it isn’t normal to not have a relationship for longer than two months. I just shrug, I can’t really defend myself.

Momo unnie started talking about how many pretty faces I’ve wasted because of my lack of appreciation towards the girls I’ve dated. To this, I roll my eyes. Is she really trying to instill appreciation in me or is she trying to get inside my ex’s pants? Sometimes I wonder whether Momo unnie has her own motives.

Jihyo Unnie however, didn’t really butt in. Out of all my housemates, she’s the one I usually talk to. I’m not saying that I am not talking Jeongyeon and Momo. All of them, they have different personalities and each of them give off different vibes. 

Jihyo, the girl who looks like Thomas the train, she’s just eyeing me. She’s just observing my movements. She knew that so far, I haven’t really been in a long term relationship except for the one I had with Chaeyoung. Son Chaeyoung, that brat, she’s the closest thing that I’ve experienced that would equate to love.

 **“Dahyun-ah, get your act straight. Will you?”** Suggests Jeongyeon unnie.

 **“First of all, she’s not straight!”** Momo unnie laughs. We all laugh too. She’s not wrong. **“But seriously, do your gay ass a favor.”** She says seriously.

 **“What favor?”** I ask her.

 **“You know, Momo meant…”** Jeongyeon trails off, not really knowing what to say. She looks at Momo, she needed Momo to back her up with what to say. Momo just shrugs.

 **“Give her a break. She’ll get her act together when she’s ready.”** Jihyo unnie puts her arm around me. I just nod in agreement. She’s right. Why should I force myself to do things I am not yet ready for? I’m still young. I can fool around as I please.

After we finished our drinks and food, we all headed home. We didn’t have dinner since none of us was hungry. When we got home, everyone decided to hang out in Jihyo Unnie’s room to have a little chit chat. We stayed there until late at night. Everyone started falling asleep in Jihyo Unnie’s room after hours of talking. We usually do this since Jihyo unnie doesn’t really mind us being there. It’s a thing we do every now and then. I guess we’re pretty close.

Everyone was already asleep when I decided to go out and hang out in the living room. I turned on the television and tried to get comfortable. I mainly turn the television on for background noise when I’m scrolling through my phone. 

Although I know Jeongyeon unnie will lose her mind if she’d know I do this, I still do it. Of course, I only do this whenever she’s asleep or she’s not around.

As I turn my phone on, I see that it’s already one-thirty in the morning. For some reason, I cannot sleep. I just try to focus on the television when my phone buzzed. It was a notification from my Kakao Talk. I scrunch my nose and open it.

**[KAKAO TALK]**

_You free tonight? I haven’t seen you in 3 days._

I look at the text. Huh. It’s her again. I type in my reply and clicked send.

**[KAKAO TALK]**

**Me:** _Has it been 3 days? I haven’t noticed._

Moments later, I receive another reply from the same person.

**[KAKAO TALK]**

_Yes. It’s been three days. Are you free tonight or what?_

I type in another reply and clicked send.

**[KAKAO TALK]**

**Me:** _Yes. I’m free tonight. We need to talk about something. Meet me at the 7eleven by the corner._

I didn’t wait for her to reply. I quickly headed to my room and grab a paper bag. I swiftly opened my drawer and grab something inside it. I place the thing inside the paper bag and hurriedly head out of our dormitory. Of course, I made sure that I wouldn’t disturb my Unnies. 

The walk from my dormitory to the Seven Eleven was very short, it took less than 2 minutes. But, I chose this spot since it’s far enough from my dormitory. The place was far from prying eyes.

When I arrived she still wasn’t there. Maybe she’s still getting ready. I wait for a little while and a few moments later I see her figure emerge out of the empty street. I look at her and motioned for her to come near me. She sees this and hurriedly ran towards where I am. I don’t offer her a seat since I know we wouldn’t be here long. I’m pretty sure our conversation will be brief.

 **“What’s up? What do you want to talk about?”** She asks.

 **“You forgot something.”** I hand her the paper bag that contained the thing in it. She takes a peek in the paper bag and her eyes grew big. Inside the paper bag was the lingerie that Momo unnie found mixed in with our clothes this morning. I look at her and raise both my eyebrows.

 **“I’m sorry, Dahyun-ah…”** She trails off and then she gives me a cute smile. I dismiss it.

 **“Are you a child or something? How can you forget your own lingerie in my room?”** I ask her, trying to sound a little calmer than I should be. 

**“Sorry …”** She trails off and pouts. I just look at her.

 **“Don’t try to act cute with me. I won’t buy it.”** I tell her, trying to make myself sound serious. 

**“Isn’t it sexy though? Didn’t you like it when I wore it for you?”** She pouts and she takes the lingerie out of the paper bag. My eyes widen and I quickly stop her from waving the lingerie around like a flag. I hold her hand and give her a pleading look. She stops and gives me a smile that suggested she won.

 **“Yah. Kim Dahyun! Don’t play hard to get, okay? Don’t you remember how much this lingerie turned you on? Why are you suddenly acting like you hate it?”** She starts getting agitated.

 **“Please don’t leave your underwear behind after we … you know.”** I say as I look at her. She gives me a judging look.

 **“Say it. After we what?”** She asks me. Her tone was annoyed. She’s challenging me.

 **“After we do our activity!”** I tell her.

 **“Activity? This isn’t schoolwork. We’re not turning in any homework!”** She exclaims.’

 **“What should we call it then?”** I ask her as my anxiety level rise, there were still people around. Fuck. 

**“HOOKUP! HOOKUP! IT’S CALLED A HOOKUP! It’s just sex. ”** She looks at me with disbelief in her eyes.

 **“Yah! You don’t have to shout like that …”** I trail off as I try to calm her down.

 **“Yah, Kim Dahyun. I left my lingerie in your room on purpose. It was supposed to be a kinky gift, pabo.”** She looks at me with annoyance.

 **“Don’t do that next time. We almost got caught.”** I look at her pleadingly. **“I had to bribe Momo unnie with a shit ton of Jokbal just to shut up.”** I look at her. She just looks at me blankly.

 **“Seriously, I don’t get you. We hook up now and then. What’s embarrassing about that, really? It’s just sex. Why are you making a big deal out of this?”** The girl asks with her arms crossed on her chest. I look at her.

 **“Yah, Minatozaki. You’re Unbelievable.”** I look at her.

 **“I know I’m unbelievable in bed. You’re unbelievable in bed too.”** She winks at me. My mouth dropped. I close my eyes in annoyance.

 **“Yah, Sana … Just promise me that you’d be a lot more careful next time.”** I beg her. She nods and gives me a cute smile.

 **“So …”** Sana looks around coyly. I give her a confused look.

 **“What is it?”** I ask the girl who looked like a Shiba Inu.

 **“You want to have some fun tonight?”** She smiles at me mischievously. I look at her and I smile at what she said. **“I promise I’ll be more careful this time.”** She coerces me. She looks at me and she bites her lower lip, waiting for my answer. I raise both my eyebrows. This time she’s closing in her distance, making the space between us disappear. She leans in and whispers in my ear.

 **“Come on. Let me make it up to you.”** She whispers. Her hot breath making the hair on my nape stand up. **“I’ll do that thing that you like…”** She whispers, her voice for some reason sounds hypnotic. Cute Sana has gone away now. This time I’ll be dealing with her different side, alluring Minatozaki.

I look at her and just snicker. I couldn’t believe what I’m hearing. She’s such a fox. How can someone have such duality? How can she act cute and then become outrageously seductive in a split second? 

I nod, giving her the permission she’s been waiting for. She reaches for my hand and we both walk off. Who am I to ignore her offer off, right? I walk off with Sana Minatozaki. The girl who I’ve been neighbors with for two years now. Sana Minatozaki, she’s the newest person I’m fooling around with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please don’t forget to comment down below! If you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Have a good day!


	6. Going out wasn’t such a good idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t forget to comment down below! Share this with your friends, cause they might enjoy this too! Anyway, if you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Please enjoy the read!

**IM NAYEON’S POINT OF VIEW**

**“What? You think you’re brave?”** asks Momo jokingly. I smile and smack her arm playfully. Momo laughs and she takes another shot, that’s very bold of her. 

The music inside the club blasted. Tonight, I’m with Jihyo and Momo. Both of them had nothing good to do tonight so I thought of going to the club with them. Nothing beats ending a tiresome week with some booze. Good company, bittersweet liquor, and great music can make things a little better. 

_You see, these things rectify me spiritually._

It may not seem like it but, I love going to clubs. I love drinking with friends. I guess in my past life I was an ahjussi who enjoyed booze.

I look over to Jihyo and notice that she’s just chilling with us, she’s not even drinking one sip of alcohol. The girl is just bobbing her head to the beat of the music.

 **“Hey, Hirai. I’m everything but a scaredy-cat! Got that?”** I pout as I take another shot. I give Momo a dirty look. She mocks me by sticking her tongue out, what a brat.

 **“Yeah, sure. Say that again when we watch a horror movie. You chicken. ”** Says Jihyo, she had this look on her face. Is she mocking me? 

**“Try drinking alcohol, you coward. You’re all words without action.”** I snap at Jihyo.

She looks at me and makes face. Park Jihyo, the girl who looks like Thomas the train avoids alcohol. I’m not saying she doesn’t drink, it’s just that I’ve never seen her drink around me before. I know that Park Jihyo’s got a very high alcohol tolerance, but for some reason she doesn’t drink when I’m around. 

_I’ve heard tons of stories from Sana, Mina, and Dahyun about how I behave after having too much alcohol._

**“Listen to our unnie. Loosen up a bit and grab a drink, Thomas.”** Says Momo is a teasing way.

 **“I do drink.”** Says Jihyo assuringly. She looks at us and gave us a look that suggests she’s so done with us. **“Look, you think I’d go to a club without drinking? Hell no.”** Says Jihyo the train.

 **“Well, drink up then.”** I say as I pour her a shot of soju. She looks at me and then she shakes her head in disapproval.

 **“You’re probably wondering why I’ve never drank with you.”** She looks at me and then she turns her gaze to the shot glass I am holding. She’s probably contemplating whether she should drink or not.

 **“Yeah. You only drink around Sana, Mina, and Dahyun. Isn’t that unfair? I’ve always wanted to drink with you.”** I pout. She rolls her eyes at me. **“Yah! I’ll scoop your eyes out. Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me. Tsk.”** I tell her.

 **“Me too! I want to see you drink.”** Begs Momo as she snatches the shot glass that was supposed to be Jihyo’s. Momo takes the shot in full swing.

 **“Yah! Really, Hirai? That was supposed to be Jihyo’s.”** I complain. I was about to pour another shot for Jihyo in hopes that she’d drink tonight, but then she cuts me off.

 **“THIS.”** Jihyo points at me. I was taken aback, both Momo and I became quiet. Momo was about to ask what’s up, when Jihyo continued to speak. **“This is why I don’t drink when I’m around you guys.”** She gave us a disappointed look.

 **“What do you mean? “** I pretend to sound hurt while Momo pours another shot for herself, only proving Jihyo’s point. Jihyo stares at Momo and then she rolls her eyes.

 **“You two are supposed to be my Unnies but the both of you need the most supervision.”** She tells us. I refuse to believe whatever that’s coming out of her mouth. **“You’re a handful when you’re drunk unnie, don’t you know that?”** asks Jihyo, her voice soft. She’s careful not to make me feel bad. 

**“And you, Momo unnie. You need the most care even when you’re sober.”** Says Jihyo as she grabs the soju bottle away from Momo. She pours a shot of soju and hands me the glass. She looks at me and smiles weakly. 

**“Yah. Isn’t that too much? Take it back.”** It sounded like Momo’s a little offended. She’s starting to act like a teen going through puberty again. It’s weird how puberty came late to her. I don’t know, maybe she’s just moody.

 **“I’m not taking anything back. “** Jihyo sticks her tongue out. Momo gave her a dirty look.

_Ohhh, I smell a diss track in the making._

**“You’re no fun. That’s why you look old.”** Snaps Momo back. Jihyo looked bothered with Momo’s comment. I guess she’s ready to fire back.

 **“You always drop your food when you eat, do you have a hole on your chin?”** Jihyo snaps back to Momo. I look over to Momo and see fire burning in her eyes. Jihyo’s clearly enjoying the sight because she looked satisfied with her clap back.

Oh God. Do I have to endure their bickering here? Jeez. I went to a club to relax, not to hear a flip top battle. Why the hell are they dissing each other right now? What the hell is wrong with them, really?

 **“Your voice is so loud, you don’t need a microphone!”** Snaps Momo to Jihyo back. Jihyo’s eyes widen.

 **“Really? Well … You look weird when you dance!”** Jihyo shouts at Momo. Good thing the club music was loud enough, if it wasn’t loud enough, people would be staring at us.

 **“What? What’s so weird about it?”** laughs Momo. **“Want me to dance for you? I’ll give you the lap dance of your lifetime.”** Winks Momo. Jihyo’s jaw drops wide open causing Momo and me to laugh hysterically. Well, I guess Momo won this battle. Momo one, Jihyo zero.

The both of them stop and they settle. Momo wore this smile of victory while Jihyo sighed in disappointment. She looked at me and I can see she wants to change the topic.

 **“I called Jeongyeon, I won’t be able to take care of the both of you once the alcohol kicks in, okay?”** says Jihyo.

I look at her in protest. Is this her way of getting back at me and Momo?

 **“Whyyyy?”** I pout. I feel my movements getting lighter. Jihyo looks at me blankly. I look over to Momo whose cheeks have become really flushed. Momo smiles at me, her smile sent a shiver through my spine. She’s creepy sometimes. **“You know Jeongyeon sucks the fun out of anything!”** I complain. Momo nods in agreement with what I say.

 **“You know how much I love Jeongyeon.”** Says Momo in an assertive tone. **“But then again, the girl’s got no jams. You have to admit that Jihyo-ssi.”** She looks at Jihyo, her eyes wanting approval.

 **“That’s the reason why I called her. Jeongyeon will suck the fun out of tonight which will make you guys drink less. Therefore, this will make our trip home easy and safe.”** Jihyo smiles. She seemed satisfied enough with her reasoning, all I know is that she's also no-fun like Jeongyeon. Party poopers. 

_I can’t believe I’m friends with these dorks._

**“Well, you’re no fun.”** Says Momo in a defeated tone. She looks at Jihyo and signals her to fill her shot glass with some more soju. Damn, this girl can drink. Jihyo then fills Momo’s glass like the submissive younger girl that she is.

 **“Damn girl, you can pour drinks well.”** Momo says as she was starting to slur. Momo pats Jihyo’s head lovingly as she smiles at the girl. Even though they bicker the most, I can still see the affection they have for each other.

 **“Aish.”** I look at Jihyo and give her a disappointed look. **“I might as well drink as much as I can before Jeongyeon arrives. “** I tell Jihyo as I pour myself another shot of soju, downing the shot immediately. I look at Jihyo and raise both my eyebrows. **“When will Jeongyeon get here? I’ve got to hurry up.”**

 **“Too late for that. Jeongyeon is already here.”** Jihyo smiles. 

As much as I want to scold Jihyo for contacting Jeongyeon, I’d rather not do so. I know Jihyo just wants the three of us to arrive home safely. Besides, I’ve heard that I’m pretty lethal when I’m drunk. I don’t know why they labeled me as “lethal”. What does being "lethal" even mean? I’ve only heard Mina tell me that I get rowdy when I drink. I even asked her to elaborate on what that meant but she refused to do so. Honestly, I wonder why these girls are so cautious of drunken Nayeon. All I know is drunken Sana is the one who people should watch out for. The girl kisses anyone near her. 

Out of nowhere, a hand found its way on my shoulder. I look over to my right and see Jeongyeon. I smile at her.

 **“Oh! If it isn’t our no-jam bro! Welcome, Jeongyeonieee!”** Shouts Momo.

I tapped the empty seat beside me and Jeongyeon obliged and sat beside me. Music blared inside the club. The type of music that people would dance to. Both my feet felt the beat of the music and started to tap by themselves. 

The club was huge, it wasn’t the typical club that’s crowded. Lights flickered to the beat of the music. I look over to Jeongyeon and see her looking over to the dance floor. The girl looked casual. She wore jeans which accentuated her long legs and a white shirt. She looked comfortable. She looked over to me and caught me staring. I just blink, not really taking my gaze away from her.

 **“What are you looking at?”** asks the grumpy girl. Her eyebrows raised and it looked like she was ready to throw hands. 

**“What? Am I not allowed to stare at you anymore?”** words slipped out of my mouth casually due to the amount of alcohol that I’ve consumed. I look at her, my lips effortlessly pouted. She gave me a disgusted look. **“Yah, Yoo Jeongyeon. How dare you look at me like that?”** I asked her, trying to make myself sound hurt. 

**“Oh my goodness, what’s wrong with her?”** Jeongyeon asks Jihyo who’s currently attending to Momo’s needs. Jihyo looks at me and then chuckles.

 **“It’s just the alcohol talking, Jeong. Don’t act as if you’re not used to drunken Nayeon.”** Says Jihyo and she immediately turn her attention back to Momo. They do their thing once again, leaving me and Jeongyeon all to ourselves.

 **“You should drink some.”** I tell Jeongyeon as I pour her some soju. I pass her the shot glass I am using and offer her the drink. She looks at me with hesitation. **“What? You think my glass is dirty? Yah, Yoo Jeongyeon!”** My voice getting increasingly higher as I talk some more.

Jeongyeon looks at me, she seemed annoyed. I know whenever she’s annoyed. Yoo Jeongyeon is annoyed when both her eyebrows meet and when her forehead scrunches. She's annoyed when her eyes squint and when she shakes her head. It's these little indicators that show me that she isn't in approval of what she's seeing. It’s weird and amazing at the same time that I know this much about this girl.

 **“Yah, Im Nayeon! Do you really find it necessary to shout every time you talk?”** She asks me. I look at her, I feel my eyes smouldering. I once again try to offer my shot glass to her.

 **“Are you going to drink or not?”** I ask her. She didn’t hesitate and swiped the drink from my hand and engulfed the whole shot. I smile at her. **“Such a good girl, you always listen to mommy well.”** I jokingly tell her as I pat her head lightly. She just nods. I know she’s just done of my shit.

 **“I needed that.”** She looks at me, her eyes were tired.

 **“Just finished your shift?”** I asked her.

 **“Yeah, Jihyo texted me to come here. She told me that she needed HELP.”** Jeongyeon emphasized on the word help. I looked at her blankly because I know she was talking about me. **“I know it was you again, how can I not come here?”** She gave me a pitiful gaze.

 **“Of course you’d come pick me up. It’s because you love me, right?”** I ask her in a cutesy way. She didn’t respond so I just laid my head on her shoulder. Right in front of me was Momo with flushed cheeks and Jihyo who’s just watching over her.

 **“I came here to watch over you because I got your back. That’s what friends are for.”** Jeongyeon replies. I roll my eyes and sit straight up, not minding the fact that I am feeling a little light-headed. I grab the Soju bottle and pour myself another shot of soju, immediately downing the shot without saying a word.

_Whatever._

**“Would you guys want to come dance with us?”** Asks Jihyo, she’s not looking at us since she’s trying to fix Momo’s hair. Momo stares at us, she may look drunk but I assure you she’s just getting started. **“Hirai wants to dance, would you guys want to join?”** repeats Jihyo, probably making sure that we hear her.

 **“Nah, we’re good.”** replies Jeongyeon. I look at her and Shake my head in defiance.

 **“No, I actually want to dance.”** I tell her. She looks at me, she’s probably thinking I’ve lost my mind.

 **“Yah, Im Nayeon. Stop being so childish.”** She looks at me. Who is she? My mother? My father? 

**“Wanting to dance doesn’t make me childish, stupid.”** I tell her. She ignores me.

 **“She’ll be staying here with me.”** Jeongyeon smiles at Jihyo and Momo. Jihyo and Momo looked like they were witnessing their parents argue.

 **“Who says I want to stay here with you?”** I ask her. Honestly, at this point, I’ll just say whatever I want to say. Who cares? They probably think I’m just too drunk.

 **“Did I ask for your opinion?”** Jeongyeon looks at me sternly. 

**“No. But you should!”** I protest. I wanted to come up with a witty clap back but it seems like I’ve run out. 

I look over to Jihyo and Momo. My eyes pleaded for help. But even they cannot go against what Jeongyeon says. 

**“Bunny right here isn’t allowed to dance anymore. She might puke on the dance floor. We wouldn’t want that right?”** Chuckles Jeongyeon.  
  


_Ok Boomer._

**“Yeah, you might end up cleaning after her.”** Adds Momo as she stands up. Momo and Jihyo link arms as the both of them joyfully walk towards the dance floor. I look over to Jeongyeon but she’s currently scrolling through her phone. She had the audacity to make me sit here and then not talk to me? Is this a joke? 

**“Stop scrolling through your phone and talk to me.”** I whine, she’s still scrolling through her feed.

 **“Why would I do that?”** She asks me without even taking her gaze off of her phone.

 **“Because you asked me stay here!”** I tell her, I feel my face getting hot. The alcohol is kicking in, I can tell. 

**“I didn’t ask you.”** She replies, still her attention was on her phone. Sometimes, I don’t understand how her mind works. 

**“What? Yes you did ask me to stay here!”** I tell her, I become more aggravated by the minute. **“Yah. Isn’t this too much? You’re really boring don’t you know that?”** I ask her and she looks up, she looked serious. Now, I kind of regret saying that she’s boring. 

**“First of all, I didn’t ask you to stay. I ordered you to stay.”** She smiled at me. The kind of smile that would annoy anyone. I just glared at her. **“Second, I’m not boring. You just have a different definition of fun.”** she smiled once again. She then turned her gaze down to her phone, she left me hanging.

 **“You’re boring and that’s the tea.”** I tell her.

 **“You use twitter slang to cover up for the fact that you’re getting old--”** She doesn’t look up when she says this. But I see her smile a little, she’s having fun teasing me. **“--and that’s the tea.”** she looks at me and she had this smirk on her face. I really wanted to banter with her but it felt like our conversation is becoming pointless, so I decided to shut up.

I turn my attention to the dance floor. The music changed and the lights became dark red. I Look over to where Momo and Jihyo was and as expected, people are starting to slowly gather around them. Oh God, Momo is probably sexy-dancing her way to the crowd’s heart.

Momo’s got this thing where she just charms the crowd. She’s got this duality where she can be cute and then in a split second become a sexy goddess. I’ll have to admit it, I’m a fan.

Out of nowhere, Jihyo gets out of the crowd and rushes towards us. She wasn’t with Momo. She was covered in sweat and she’s trying to catch her breath.

 **“MOMO. SEXY DANCE. CAN’T STOP HER.”** The girl who looks like Thomas the train barely got the phrases out of her mouth.

 **“What?”** asks Jeongyeon.

 **“She says she needs help. Next time use your ears.”** I tell Jeongyeon. She looks at me, she’s still confused.

 **“HELP ME GET MOMO OUT OF THE DANCE FLOOR. NOW.”** Jihyo’s Voice was commanding. Even though the club was blaring music, I could definitely hear her voice through the music. 

_Jeez, her mouth is designed like a microphone._

I look over to Jeongyeon who’s now standing, she just nods. As she was about to walk away she looked over to me.

 **“Stay right there. Don’t try to follow us. If you walk right now you’ll end up making yourself more drunk than you already are.”** Jeongyeon firmly says as she accompanies Jihyo to the dance floor. As both of them worked through the crowd that Momo has gathered, I felt the need to pee.

I stand up and feel my movements become light. I am now in my ‘drunken high phase’. It’s a term that I coined myself. Drunken High phase means a feeling which I’ve associated with lightness, happiness, and just being carefree in general. I usually get to my drunken high phase when I drink just enough amount of alcohol, just enough not to make me nauseous or throw up. An amount just enough to make my movements lighter.

I look around, my face feels hot. I need to go to the comfort room. 

_Fuck what Jeongyeon says._

I run my fingers through my hair before walking towards the comfort room. Good thing I’m not wearing heels and that the wash room isn’t too far away. As I walk, towards the wash room I feel eyes follow me. I’m used to it now. Maybe I look ridiculous? Eh. Who am I kidding? I look gorgeous that’s why people are looking at me. Jeez.

The washrooms were separated by a hallway and people meet and socialize in the said hallway. As I walk through the path, I see people talk, some people smoking, and some smooching. I mean, it’s a club, right? Some people would smooch. As I reach the end of the hallway, I turn right. However, right before I enter the female washroom, a hand yanks me.

 **“What the fuck?”** I exclaim and I look over to who the hell had the guts to yank Im Nayeon the visual goddess. The moment my eyes meet the perpetrator’s eyes, I freeze. I have never seen this guy before my whole life.

He looked Tall, I’m not sure how tall he is but he was towering me. I couldn’t really describe how he’s built since he’s wearing a hoodie, he’s all covered up. Besides, with all the alcohol I’ve consumed, remembering details is something that I won’t be able to do well. 

**“Hey, sweetie… What’s up with you? Don’t you know me?”** The guys asks me as he tries to close the distance between us. I take a step back away from him, I feel this sense of dread take over me. 

**“Who are you? Get away from me before I call the cops.”** I threaten him. Though, threatening him was absolutely unnecessary, I just felt like I had to do it. I’ve never seen him before and I wasn’t sure what he’s capable of. 

**“Don’t you know me at all?”** He asks, he sounded serious which made the alarms inside my head go off. 

_Is he serious right now?_

**“What the fuck.”** I whisper to myself, I wasn’t even sure if he’s trying to prank me or if he really is serious. 

**“Seriously, don’t you recognize me?”** He asked again, trying to close the distance between us. I take a step back, making sure he could not touch me.

 **“Do you want me to help you remember who I am?”** The guy asks me. My eyes widen with what he says. There was nothing wrong with what he said, it’s just how he said it. The way his voice sounded so devoid of any emotion sent chills to my spine. It was as if I wasn’t talking to a normal person. I take a few more steps back, I want this guy far away from me as possible.

I am in my drunken high phase but I immediately come to my senses when I see him. I do not know him. I haven’t seen him before in my life. He looked cocky and what scares me the most is that he's wearing a cap and sunglasses. Why the hell is he wearing a cap and sunglasses in a club? Where is the sun? What the hell is going on with this guy?

 **“Do you need something?”** I ask him, I try to make my voice as stable as possible. I stand up straight to make myself seem more sober than I really am. I see him smirk. All I can see is his lips and a mole on his lower left chin. I try to look at more things to identify him with but to no avail.

 **“Fuck. Hey! Isn’t this too much?”** His mood suddenly shifted. He sounded annoyed. 

I just stood there, frozen. I wasn’t sure what to do. 

**“I’ve loved you, Im Nayeon, for years now, and you don’t know me?!”** The guy raised his voice. I just look at him, I am frozen in fear. **“Hey! Really, Nayeon-ssi? I’m your biggest fan. How the fuck don’t you know my name?!”** He exclaimed once more.

 **“I’m sorry, but my name is not Nayeon.”** I try to lie. Of course, I sounded stupid. 

**“What? Yah, I’m not dumb. I know who you are.”** The guy replies, his voice, I try to remember how it sounds. 

**“I’m sorry but you’re talking to the wrong person! Please leave me alone! Please go home!”** I scream, hoping that people around me would see that I’m in danger. I felt cold, my hands and feet were cold. I can’t believe this is actually happening to me.

 **“Go. Shout all you want. No one cares.”** I hear him chuckle, I see him smirk too. I just look at him, I want to shout but he’s right, people don’t really care. 

I try my best to rationalize everything but all I can think about are; what is he talking about? Why is he stalking me? Should I know my stalkers? What the hell is wrong with this person? 

The guy must’ve grown impatient with me because he came closer and placed his hand on my left shoulder. I immediately moved away in retaliation, my whole body is shaking as of the moment. I’ve never experienced this much fear my whole life. 

**“Yah. What’s wrong with your boyfriend touching you?”** He coolly asks. My eyes widen. This guy is fucking delusional. I am in front of a psycho, and if I don’t try to run away now, I might not see tomorrow. **“How did my beautiful girlfriend’s day go?”** his tone abruptly changed. He sounded soft and now he’s smiling, I am very much unnerved. This guy is delusional and I have to get away. NOW. If I don’t, I might end up in a ditch somewhere.

 **“What’s wrong with you? I’m not your girlfriend.”** I stall him, waiting for anyone to help me. I was looking around, trying to get people to notice me. 

**“What? Yes, I am.”** He replies, he even sounded so sure.

 **“How can I have a boyfriend if I’m not into men? I mean, at least men like you!”** I spat at him, trying to make my voice louder. What’s wrong with the people in this hallway? Why is no one even trying to help me? 

**“Are you crazy?”** He asks me.The guy reaches for my face and caresses my cheek. My eyes widen, and I feel my airways tighten. I try to look around for help but the people loitering within the hallway are busy with their own business.

 **“Hey, really! Stop playing hard to get.”** He doesn’t shout, but his voice was commanding. I couldn’t talk and my heart was pounding. It felt like this was the end of me. I see the guy smile, he’s so tall that I cannot bring myself to stand up to him, I don’t want to end up hurt.

 **“Don’t you think we look cute together? I’m your biggest best fan and I’ve watched over you for years now.”** He smiles. My heart stops, I couldn’t understand what was happening right in front of me.

 **“Yah! Aren’t you going to say something back? Am I the one who’s going to do all the talking here?”** He babbles. I just look at him, eyes start to water out of fear, I feel my body trembling out of fear. The mixture of alcohol and fear is something that people should avoid. 

**“TALK! I never thought you’re one frustrating bitch. Is this how you treat your fan?”** He spats again.

 **“I don’t know you, please leave me alone! Please go home!”** I shout at him as I cover my face with my arms. I expected him to hit me in the face. Who knows what this loser would do to me? As I expected the worst, I heard someone familiar shout my name.

 **“YAH! IM NAYEON! “** a booming voice called out to me from down the hall. It was Jeongyeon. The guy suddenly lets go of me and he backs away a little. He stared at me one more time and then he decided to get away, running past Jeongyeon, hitting her shoulder in the process. Jeongyeon pauses for a while to look back at the stalker who’s now steps further from us. She then looks at me. She looked annoyed as she charged towards me.

The moment she’s found her way where I was, she swiftly yanked my hand and led me into the comfort room. She checks all cubicles before deciding to lock the comfort room’s main door. Good thing was no one was in the comfort room with us. 

Everything felt weird, I am relieved of course but I just don’t feel right. Still with my body trembling, I just stare at Jeongyeon, I cannot tell her what just happened. This may be stupid but I won’t tell her who that person was.

 **“People need to pee.”** I tell her, trying my best not to tremble. 

She gave me a serious look, both her hands found their way on her hips. It looks like she’s going to give me the nag of the century.

 **“ARE YOU STUPID?”** Her voice was loud and it made me flinch.

 **“Please don’t scream.”** My voice was feeble and I am too worn-out to even argue with her.

 **“OH, I’LL SCREAM ALL I WANT ALRIGHT!”** She never fails to injure my eardrums.

 **“Jeez. You’re making my eardrums bleed for fuck’s sake.”** I spat at her, she looks at me as if she’s can’t believe what she’s hearing.

 **“Didn’t I tell you stay where you were? Are you a child?”** She starts to nag again. I just look at her blankly, I’ve got no energy for this argument at all. I’m too worn out. **“Who the hell was that guy?”** She questions, her voice now a little bit toned down. I look at her and just shrug. Honestly, I don’t know mister psycho and I have no plan of telling her what happened. I’ll figure this out by myself. **“Then why the hell was he touching you?”** She sounded aggravated.

 **“Yah! Really, Yoo Jeongyeon? I’ve had a rough evening. I don’t need you shouting at me.”** I was just irritated. She just shook her head in dissatisfaction. She closed her eyes and looked downcast, I know she’s trying to calm herself.

 **“There are many predators out there.”** She didn’t look up. Her voice sounded stern. I just looked away, I wasn’t in the mood to be nagged at.

 **“Nayeon unnie, please look at me.”** Her voice suddenly became soft. I looked up and didn’t say a word, what was I supposed to say anyway? She looked concerned. **“The next time I tell you to stay where you are, please listen.”** She spoke softly. I just stare at her blankly, I crossed my arms. Whatever.

 **“I wouldn’t know what to do if you get hurt.”** She looks at me, her eyes were sincere. I didn’t know what to say really, so I’ll just act like a spoiled brat. **“You’re my responsibility.”** She says, her tone was really serious.

_SHUT UP._

Responsibility? What the fuck is she talking about? She has some guts to talk about responsibility. What a nut-job. Dolt.

 **“You’re clear of responsibility. Don’t bother yourself with me. I can take care of myself.”** I tell her coldly. I wasn’t in the mood to argue with her, I just want to make things clear between us. I just want her to know that she shouldn’t feel that she needs to take care of me. I am a grown ass woman, I can handle my own mess.

 **“You can’t even go to a comfort room without being followed. Is that what you call taking care of yourself? That’s some world class bullshit.”** I raise an eyebrow at her. She walks towards me and sits on the counter where the sink is installed. I was just standing beside her. I look over to her.

 **“You’re some world class bullshit.”** I tell her.

 **“What?”** She looked at me, he eyes wide open. **“Hey. How can you say that, Im Nayeon? I care for you. You’re my friend.”** She smacked the sink counter where she currently sits. She looked frustrated.

I sigh heavily. I looked at Jeongyeon who’s waiting for a response from me. I hate this. I hate everything about this. Everything about this conversation is annoying. I feel my face becoming hotter the longer I engage conversation with this girl. I cross my arms and stare at her.

 **“Stop being so clueless, Yoo Jeongyeon. I already told you that you’re clear of your responsibility or whatever debt you feel towards me.”** I try my best for my voice not to crack mid-sentence.

 **“What’s wrong with you? I told you I’m your friend---“** I cut her off. I’ve had enough of this conversation, I can’t take any more of this.

 **“THEN STOP BEING MY FRIEND.”** I tell her, my voice echoed inside the washroom. She looked hurt for about a second and then she just shook her head.

 **“Don’t say that. I’m sure that’s just the alcohol talking.”** She tried to assure me, she tried to become the bigger person. However, I’m not having any of this. I looked at her, I was annoyed. I clicked my tongue.

 **“NO. YOU LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY. I’M ONLY GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE.”** I tell her in my most assertive tone. Even though my movements are now lighter than it was before I drank that shit ton of soju, I am confident with what I have to say. She just looked at me and sat properly, she’s waiting for what I have to say.

 **“Am I a joke to you?”** I asked her. My voice cracked. I’m not going to lie, I felt a little hurt. **“How can you act that way towards me? Why…”** I trail off and look at her. **“Why do you have to be like that? Why do you have to hang out in our dorm constantly and eat there---“** She cuts me off.

 **“Nayeon-ah, if this is about the food—“** I cut her off too. Why is this girl too shallow to understand what I am saying? She’s frustrating as fuck.

 **“--I’m not finished yet. Listen carefully.”** I tell her. My words were starting to slur. My thoughts are all mixed up. **“Why, why do you have to text me and tell me to accompany you at the bakery? Am I your keeper or something?”** these words came out of my mouth effortlessly.

 **“Nayeon unnie...”** She trails off, she seemed really taken aback by what I am saying. 

**“Why do you have to always pick me up when I’m drunk?”** I ask her. She just looked at me blankly.

 **“Why do I have to be friends with you? Don’t you know that I hate being friends with you? Don’t you know that?”** I ask her, but of course I did not want her to answer. 

**“What’s wrong with you…”** She trails off, looking at me like she doesn’t understand a thing. Stupid girl.

 **“Why do you act like the way you do? You’re so annoying. Don’t you know that?”** I tell her, not meaning any word that came out of my mouth.

 **“I never knew you felt that way.”** She looked down. Her voice sounded like nothing I’ve ever heard before. She sounds extremely dumbfounded.

 **“Why does it have to be you, Yoo Jeongyeon?”** I ask her, hoping that she’d understand what these words meant. I am hoping that she’s stop being so shallow and start to understand what I am trying to say.

She just looked at me, clueless. Yoo Jeongyeon, this fucking dumb-dumb doesn’t understand what I am saying and it makes me want to rip her throat out. How can someone be so clueless? How can someone be more than 20 years old and not understand how the world works? Oh my goodness, I might just bash her head in.

I shake my head and stand right in front of her, not giving the both of us enough space. I looked at her intently. Maybe in her point of view, I’m just some drunken girl babbling whatever that came to her mind. But to me, this conversation is important. I sigh deeply and look into her eyes.

**“Yoo Jeongyeon.”** I call to her attention. I cup her face in my hands and her facial expression change. She’s taken aback but she’s not pulling away. I held her face gently. **“Jeongyeon-ah, let’s stop playing these stupid childish games.”** I tell her earnestly, my hands still cupping her small face.

**“Jeongyeon-ah, I think I like you.”** I whisper. I do not wait for her to respond, immediately I lean in with my eyes closed and place my lips on her lips. My hand as if having a mind of its own, found its way to her nape. My hands, they pulled her close, not wanting to let her go. Her lips, they were soft, as expected. She tasted like vanilla. It felt like our bodies have a mind of their own, they moved in unison and I couldn’t get enough. I wait for Jeongyeon to pull away, but even in my tipsy state, I know that this idiot was also responding.

I open my eyes and realize that she too, is pulling me close to her. I have to admit, she’s pretty strong. I stopped and pulled away from her. I look at Jeongyeon and see that lipstick is smeared all over her mouth. I just don’t know whether it’s her lipstick or mine. She’s looking down, probably because of embarrassment. I look at the mirror behind her, and even in my almost passed out state, even though my vision has become a little fuzzy, I notice that I’ve got lipstick all over my face too. That must’ve been one hell of a make out session.

I turn my gaze to her, she’s now looking at me. I wait for her to respond even though cold sweat have started to form on my forehead. I start to feel as if my insides is stirring. I look up and notice that my vision has become increasingly foggy. Oh my Goodness, I shouldn’t have moved so much.

 **“Are you okay? You look like going to throw up ---“** I cut Yoo Jeongyeon off. Immediately I feel everything that I have eaten today rise up my throat. My eyes widen and I push Jeongyeon out of the way to throw up.

_Holy shit, confessing to her played differently inside my head._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please don’t forget to comment down below! If you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Have a good day!


	7. Damn you Chou Tzuyu, You Demon tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t forget to comment down below! Share this with your friends, cause they might enjoy this too! Anyway, if you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Please enjoy the read!

**SON CHAEYOUNG’S POINT OF VIEW**

**“Oh? Looks like our Chaeyoungie is studying. Your tests coming up, huh?”** Asks Sana unnie as she takes the seat right next to me. 

**“Yeah and I’m obviously not ready.”** I look at her and pout. She smiles and pats the top of my head.

 **“Don’t worry. You’re doing fine, short limbs.”** She smiles and then she relaxes her chin on her hand, her elbow propped on the table for support. **“I see you’re not the type to study in libraries or cafes.”** she stares at my notes which are scattered all over the kitchen table. I just pout and look at her, hoping that all this studying would soon be over.

 **“I’m sorry. Should I study in my room? Are you going to use the kitchen table?”** I ask her, worried that I might be bothering the girl who looked like a shiba-inu. 

**“No, you’re not disturbing me at all, silly.”** She chuckles. **“I’m just amazed that you’re not the type to study outside.”** She adds.

 **“I wasn’t in the mood when Tzuyu asked me to study outside.”** I reply and I turn to focus on my notes once more, trying to highlight another important word that I’ve scribbled. **“Don’t you have tests coming up, unnie?”** I asked her, curious with what’s currently happening to her academe life. 

**“Yeah, I do. I have a test next week.”** She replies as tries to scan my notes.

 **“Did you study yet?”** I ask her.

 **“I study during my free time.”** She firmly says. She looks at me and then she smiles. **“It may seem like I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but, I’m pretty lethal myself.”** She chuckles.

_I know you’re lethal. Everyone knows that._

**“You’re amazing. I should start getting my shit done.”** I tell her as I continue to read my notes which make no sense. I sigh, I’m really disappointed at how I can't get my shit right. 

**“Yah. Son Chaeyoung, take it easy.”** She puts her arm around me. I just look at her, I feel glum. How the heck am I supposed to pass this test if I can’t get past reading the first page of my notes?

I just shrug, I can’t really do anything now, can I? The whole dorm was silent since it’s only me and Sana unnie who are around. The door knob suddenly jiggled, the door opened and closed. We hear footsteps and we see it’s Mina unnie. Both Sana unnie and I stared at Mina who stared back, her eyes looked blank. I realized Sana unnie’s arms are still around me. 

**“I’m home.”** Mina unnie huffed. I feel sana Unnie’s arm slide off of me. 

**“Have you eaten yet?”** Asks Sana to Mina. Mina unnie just shakes her head. **“Our Chayeoungie’s preparing for a test. Care to give her some encouraging words?”** Asks Sana unnie. Mina just looks at me blankly, she lifts her hand up and ran her fingers through her hair.

_Uhm, was that necessary?_

**“Good luck then.”** She breathes out, then she walked toward her room and entered not really waiting for my response. 

_She’s so moody all of a sudden._

What’s up with her? The last time we had a conversation she seemed really into whatever we were talking about. She even asked me to sketch her! And that gaze? Why the heck would she look at me blankly as if today’s the first time she’s encountered me?

**“She seemed weird, huh?”** Asks Sana unnie and I just nod as I try to focus on my notes once again. **“Better get used to it.”** she winks at me and then she stands up. 

**“Get used to what?”** I pretend to not understand whatever she’s saying.

 **“Moody Mina. Sulky Mina. She visits every now and then. Better get used to that.”** She nods, as if trying to agree with whatever she says.

 **“Whatever.”** I tell Sana unnie, I even smiled so that she’d think I wasn’t serious.

 **“I better leave you now. Good luck!”** says Sana unnie, she ruffles my short hair and walks towards her room, leaving me all by myself. 

I continue my work and start reading and highlighting words that may come up during my exam. Words that did not seem like they were ever discussed casually came up too. Jeez. Why do I have to learn all these words? Should I just drop out or something? 

_Should I just live my life as a beggar?_

Just as I was about to flip my notes to the next page, I see Mina unnie come out of her room. We both make eye contact but I was the one to look away first.I figured out she’s not in the mood so I’d rather not talk to her. I look down and pretend to read through my notes, only sneaking peeks when I know she isn’t looking my way. 

While reading through my notes, I notice that she’s walking towards where I am seated. As she was about to reach me, she turns right and goes straight for the stove. She’s completely facing away from me.

_What’s wrong with her? Isn’t she going to talk to me?_

I just sigh. I try to discreetly look at her since it's only her back that’s facing me. She’s completely changed her clothes and her hair is now tied up. She’s probably getting ready for bed. She’s wearing an oversized shirt and shorts. 

As I continue to space out, I realize I had to read some more. My exams are still more than a week away but I just feel the need to finish reading everything. As I continue to understand my notes,a shadow suddenly blocked the light that was supposed to help me in reading my notes. 

_Who else would it be? Minari._

Mina placed something in front of me. It’s a cup of tea. I look up and I see her smiling at me. Not a gummy smile, but a more subtle one. I just look at her, not really knowing how to respond. To be honest, It even felt like my jaw dropped a little.

**“I couldn’t help but notice the amount you’re supposed to read.”** She starts.

_I just stare at her and nod._

**“Tea has caffeine in it, it’ll help you to not fall asleep.”** She smiles at me. I didn’t even notice it at first but I found myself smiling too. Jeez.

 **“Thank you Mina unnie.”** I shyly reply, still looking at her. For some reason, I can’t take my eyes off of her. She nods.

 **“Take it easy.”** She says and she walks off as if nothing happened, and because I am an idiot, my eyes followed her. As she was about to reach her room she turns back and looks at me. She’s caught my lingering stare, I quickly pretend to read my notes.

 **“Good luck, cub. Please drink it while it’s hot.”** I look up and I see her smile slightly and then this time she gets inside her room.

I just look at the cup of tea she brewed for me. What the hell? Did she just brew me a cup of tea? I thought she wasn’t in the mood? I thought she’s tired from school, but she somehow managed to change her clothes and actually make me tea.

_Ah, Myoui Mina, you’re really something._

Days have passed and my exam day came. I just finished my last examination and I guess I did well. I was confident with my answers. Reading and taking notes does the trick. As I exit my examination room, I spot Tzuyu waiting for me outside. She’s leaning on the wall just checking through her phone.

 **“Hey demon tree, what’s up? Did you wait for me?”** I ask her.

 **“I sure did, short-limbs. How did your test go?”** she asks and we both start walking. I look at her and give her a beaming smile. She smiles back and she nods. **“I can see you did well. Way to go, smol bean. Keep it up!”** she pats my head and I just smile since I feel like I deserve to be praised by the demon tree. 

**“How about you? You did well too, right?”** I ask her, still walking. The giant just nodded. **“Any plans for tonight?”** I ask her, trying to maintain our conversation. She looks at me and she shakes her head.

 **“I just want to go home and rest.”** She plainly replies as we reach the ground floor, our feet shuffling towards the University’s main entrance. It’s already night time, probably around quarter to 9 pm. I understand her, everyone in this university are always sleep deprived. 

I was about to ask her a follow-up question when all of a sudden my phone buzzed. I turned it on and it was a notification from Jung Min Woo. He’s sent me a message.

**[KAKAO TALK]**

**_Min Woo:_ ** _Hey! Do you have any plans for tonight? I heard all students who are majoring in fine arts finishes their periodical test today. Want to celebrate?_

I look at the text message blankly. I don’t really have anything special to do. Everyone in the dorm seems busy. I look at Tzuyu and she seems adamant of staying in the dorm, it’d be such a waste to just sleep tonight. Besides, I’ve met up with Min Woo more than three times since meeting him. He seems okay. 

**[KAKAO TALK]**

**_Min Woo:_ ** _Hey! Do you have any plans for tonight? I heard all students who are majoring in fine arts finishes their periodical test today. Want to celebrate?_

 **_Me:_ ** _Sure, that’s a great idea._

 **_Min Woo:_ ** _I’m currently here at the main entrance. Want me to come pick you up?_

I look at the text and turn my gaze to Tzuyu. Shit. I don’t want her to know about Min Woo. I mean, not yet. She might get the wrong idea. So I halt and tap the giant. She looks at me with her tired eyes.

 **“Tzuyu, I’m so sorry. I forgot I have to go someplace else. Would you mind going home alone?”** I ask her. She just shook her head.

 **“Don’t worry, I’ll just text Sana unnie to come pick me up.”** I look at her, surprised. Is Sana her personal maid or something? 

**“So, I’ll see you at home. Okay?”** I tell her and she just nodded and then she walked off. I smile and quickly texted Min Woo back.

**[KAKAO TALK]**

**_Min Woo:_ ** _Hey! Do you have any plans for tonight? I heard all students who are majoring in fine arts finishes their periodical test today. Want to celebrate?_

 **_Me:_ ** _Sure, that’s a great idea._

 **_Min Woo:_ ** _I’m currently here at the main entrance. Want me to come pick you up?_

 **_Me:_ ** _No. I’ll be right there in a minute. Wait for me, okay?_

Jung Min Woo waited for me outside of the University gate with a bouquet of flowers. I’ll be honest, a bouquet of flowers is a little weird. What’s up with him? Isn’t this too much? Jeez. 

Honestly, he seems like a nice guy. He’s well dressed, his hair looked good, he’s tall, and he’s very well spoken. The more that I hang out with him more, the more I realize that he Looks like the actor Kim Ji-Soo. He’s pretty cute if I were to be honest. However, I just don’t see him that way. 

He lead me to his car and we drove to the nearest restaurant. Before going out of his car, I left the bouquet of flowers inside his car. I just don’t want people to give people the wrong impression. The restaurant, even though we hastily picked it, looked great. The food looked great too. 

**“Yah. Min Woo.”** I call his attention and he gives me this glance. I laugh and he raises an eyebrow, seemingly asking me why I called his attention. **“Don’t you dare do this again, understand?”** I chuckle as I look through the menu. 

**“Do what?”** He asks in a playful tone. I look at him.

 **“You know, texting me on the spot. Asking me where I am.”** I tell him in a serious tone. 

**“Don’t you like it?”** he asks. I just look at him and shake my head.

 **“Yah. I had to make my friend go home all by herself because of you.”** I was implying to Tzuyu. 

**“I’m sorry. It won’t happen next time.”** He smiles. When he smiles, his eyes smile too. I’ve noticed that about him. Jung Min Woo looks good, he really does resemble the actor Kim Ji-Soo. He’s got this mole on his lower left chin which makes him stand out. If I were to pick him out of a line with other suspects, I’d easily know it was him.

 **“And stop giving me flowers.”** I tell him, my tone was slightly irritated. He looks a little bit hurt when I told him that.

 **“What? I’m just trying to mark my territory.”** He tells me seriously. I just look at him.

When he said that, his mood ultimately changed. He did not seem like the easy going Min Woo that I’ve conversed with. He seemed off. It felt like I don’t know him at all. 

**“Yah. Jung Min Woo, stop saying weird things.”** I wasn’t sure whether I seemed to harsh, but whatever. He’s all grown now, he can understand. **“And what territory are you marking exactly?”** I ask him in a joking way.

 **“Well, you know what I mean.”** Min Woo replies playfully. he had this look on his face which made me smile too. Rascal. 

**“There’s no territory to mark, Min Woo.”** I tell him the truth, I guess it’s better to just tell him this directly than to dilly dally. **“There’s nothing between us, we’re just friends casually hanging out.”** I jokingly tell him, trying to make the atmosphere a lot less heavy. He looked at me for a second and he just smiles. I sigh in relief. I thought he might take offense to what I had to say. 

**“Yah. Isn’t that too much?”** He pouts. I look at him seriously. **“You do know that we’re currently on our fifth date. Right?”** He asks.

 **“This isn’t a date. We’ve never been on a date.”** I tell him. He looked at me, he seemed annoyed.

 **“What do you call this then?”** He asks.

 **“It’s hanging out. Eating together as friends. Look, I just don’t see you that way.”** I tell him gently, even though he’s starting to get on my nerves. Are men always like this? Do they always tend to assume things? Can’t they take ‘no’ for an answer?

As he was about to say something, my phone rang. It was Nayeon unnie. I excused myself from the table and from the look on Min Woo’s face, I can see he understood that I need to answer the call. I stepped out of the restaurant and is greeted by the cold breeze of Seoul. I pick the phone up.

**“Yes? What is it Nayeon unnie?”** I ask her.

 **“Chaeng-ah. Where are you now?”** The bunny asks. Her voice sounded like she’s in a hurry. I look around and try to figure out where exactly I am but to no avail. **“Ah. Forget it. I’m currently at Teal Bar. You know where that is, right?”** she asks.

Of course I know where that is. That bar is famous for its tequila sunrise. It’s the bar which is located nearest our University.

 **“Yeah. What about it?”** I ask her.

 **“You need to come here. I need you to cover for me.”** She says. What? Cover for what?

 **“Unnie …”** I trail off, thinking about Min Woo. **“I’m a little preoccupied at the moment.”** I tell her in my most sorry tone. 

**“Minari is here.”** My eyes widen. 

_Mina unnie._

**“She needs help.”** She sounded serious.

 **“What?”** I ask her, obviously I wasn’t prepared for any of this.

 **“Come here, okay? We’ll be waiting for you.”** Says Nayeon unnie and she hangs up the phone. 

I hurriedly walk inside the restaurant where Min Woo is currently seated. He looked at me, trying to figure out what the call was about. 

**“Min Woo-ssi, I’m so sorry but I forgot I’ve got to be somewhere. Seriously I’m so sorry.”** I tell him, I clasp my hands, trying to ask for an apology. He looked at me as if he didn’t understand what I was saying. I got a hold of my bag and turned to him. **“I’m sorry I’ve got to go.”** I tell him as I walk off, not really waiting for him to answer back. 

Just as I was to reach the front door, I turn around and tell him **“I’ll pay you back next time! I’m so sorry. Something important came up.”** I smile at him apologetically, this time he was standing up and he looked like he was about to say something. However, I cut him off by bowing before turning my back and heading out.

I felt bad leaving Min Woo but Nayeon unnie sounded serious. I couldn’t help but attend to whatever she needs me to do. I rode a taxi in order to get to Teal bar. Not more than ten minutes later, I’ve arrived. Teal bar is famous, but I personally haven’t been inside the place.

As I was about to enter the bar, I was stopped by the guard and is asked for an identification card. I looked at him, I couldn’t believe what was coming out of his mouth.

 **“What do you mean I look like I’m twelve?”** I asked him, my voice boomed and I felt hurt.

 **“NO ID, NO ENTRY.”** the guard insists. My pride was hurt, but of course I grabbed my ID out of my bag and presented it to him. The guard looked like he can’t believe what he was seeing. 

**“Are you sure this isn’t fake?”** He asked me. This asshole is making me impatient.

 **“Hey, isn’t this too much? My roommate makes better drinks than your bartender. You really think I’d give that much effort just to get inside your bar? This isn’t even a club. How dare you ask me such stupid question?”** Words came out of my mouth like bullets. I couldn’t help myself. This guy is accusing me of things that don’t make sense.

The guard doesn’t let out a word, he just looked at me and nodded. He handed me my ID back and motioned for me to get inside the bar. I gave him a dirty look before stepping inside the bar. When I got inside, the bar isn’t packed. Maybe it’s because younger people prefer clubs. Just as I was about to text Nayeon unnie I hear her call out to me.

 **“Chaeng-ah! Over here.”** Calls out Nayeon unnie. I look over and see the both of them sitting in a table good for two people. Nayeon unnie walks towards me and she softly gets a hold of my hand. 

**“What is this about, unnie?”** I ask her. 

**“Chaeng-ah. Unnie has somewhere to go. Can you please accompany Minari for me?”** she pouts and I instantly flinch.

 **“What about the others?** I ask her, implying about the other people from our dorm.

 **“Both Sana and Tzuyu are busy. Sana didn’t answer her phone and Tzuyu sounded like she was about to die. I just felt like she needed to rest so I thought about you.”** Explains Nayeon unnie. I look at her and just sigh.

 **“Where are you heading to then?”** I ask her. 

**“Aish. Stop asking so many questions. Will you do me a favor or not?”** She asked me. I sigh and look over to Mina who looked flushed. I look at Nayeon unnie and just nod. She squeals and then she hugs me. **“I owe you big time!”** says nayeon unnie as she gets a hold of my hand and drags me towards their table. She grabs all of her belongings and she taps Mina.

 **“Minari, our Chaeyoungie is here. You’ll be fine with her, right?”** asks Nayeon unnie. Mina looked at Nayeon and then she looked at me. She looked flushed, and her movements looked a little clumsy. 

**“Well, you know what they say! Beggars can’t be choosers!”** Exclaims MIna. I look at her and gave her a dirty look.

_Did she just call me a beggar’s option?_

**“Okay, whatever…”** Nayeon unnie trails off, she’s obviously trying to hide her smile. **“I’ve got to go now. Take care of the girl.”** Says Nayeon unnie as she quickly walks off towards the entrance. 

I just look at Mina and take a seat in front of her. She looks at me and then she sighs loudly. I just stare at her, not sure how to handle drunk Mina. She rests her head on her hands, her elbows propped on the table. She looked at me, her eyes, they aren’t piercing anymore. She looks soft and vulnerable. 

_She looks like a drunk penguin._

**“You’re not drunk, right?”** I ask her. She looked at me and I see her bite her lower lip. Ah, she’s definitely drunk. She’s currently experiencing the ‘drunk twitch’.

A drunk twitch is a movement/s that people do unconsciously when they’re tipsy or drunk. Everyone has their own drunk twitch. I honestly don’t know what my drunk twitch is but I can see that Mina’s drunk twitch is biting her lower lip and saying rude things. I look at her, she’s definitely intoxicated.

 **“No. Do I look drunk? ”** She asked and she pouted. Ah, another drunk twitch. 

**“Good. Cause I don’t like taking care of drunk people.”** I tell her directly. She looks at me and she seemingly snapped out of her drunken high phase. 

**“I’m not asking you to take care of me.”** She replies. I look at her, I was surprised. Wow, she’s definitely rude when she’s drunk.

 **“Fine, miss independent woman.”** I tease her and I see her smile. I smile too. **“How many bottles have you consumed?”** I asked her. She looks at me blankly.

 **“I don’t know. Who counts anyway?”** She answers. Ah, she’s still smart even when drunk. I chuckle with what she says, so I pour her shot glass some more soju. She’s smiling. I give her the glass and she accepts by immediately drinking it. I smile, she looks really cute.

 **“Why are you drinking anyway? Are you celebrating or something?”** I ask her and she just shook her head. 

**“I hate this.”** She looks at me. 

**“What? You hate that I’m the one to accompany you here?”** I couldn’t hide the hurt tone in my voice. She shook her head and looked at me.

 **“I hate that you get to see me like this, cub.”** She pouts at me. I smile, what the hell?

 **“What? Drunk? Everyone gets drunk sometimes. It’s no big deal.”** I chuckle.

 **“I hate that you get to see me so vulnerable.”** Says Mina, she then motions me to fill her shot glass with some more soju.

_Vulnerable? In what way?_

**“I think you look cool right now, unnie.”** I tell her as I fill her shot glass. I smile at her and she just looks down. 

**“I think you’re the coolest…”** She trails off, her voice slurred a little. I look at her, is she really this talkative when drunk? 

_It’s weirdly fascinating_

**“So you think of me?”** I ask her jokingly. She looks at me and gave me a dirty look.

 **“That’s none of your business, baby tiger.”** She clasps my face and I end up becoming frozen. What the hell is she doing right now? She smiles, her hands felt heavy. She’s definitely close to becoming drunk. **“Why? Do you want me to think of you?”** She asks and I just look at her. She smiles and lets go of my face.

I just look at her, I’m at a loss for words. How dare she cup my face like that? Without permission? I almost lost my cool. 

**“I think I wanna go home, baby tiger. Please take me home.”** she softly whispers as she buries her head on the table. I just look at her and sigh.

I stand up and pay for the drinks consumed. Good thing Mina is the type who can still walk properly when drunk, because if she isn’t? I would’ve left her ass alone in Teal bar. Hailing a cab was easy, but I worried that she might puke inside the cab so I had to secure a plastic bag for her. I had to make sure even though the travel home would only take less than 10 minutes by cab. I couldn't take the risk, really. 

Before entering the cab, I placed all our belongings inside the compartment. Good thing Mina unnie can stand all by herself. She looked like a statue though, she looked lifeless. When I made sure everything was already in place, I made her enter the cab first and then I came in second. I told the cab driver our address and he went on running. As the taxi started moving, I couldn’t help but notice Mina unnie. She’s so far away from me. I tap her shoulder and smile at her.

 **“If you feel sleepy, you can lay your head on my shoulder.”** I tell her. She immediately scooted closer to me but she didn’t lay her head on my shoulder. She felt warm, maybe it’s because of all the alcohol she’s consumed. 

**“Chaeyoungie…”** she trails off. I turn my gaze to her and realize how close our faces were. Sober Mina would freak out about this, but apparently drunk Mina seems completely fine with it. I look away and face front.

 **“Yes?”** I respond, not directly looking at her.I feel her breathe heavily, and then I feel her rest her head on my shoulder. I froze, my mind went completely blank. Should I breathe? Should I move? Should I just move out of South Korea? 

**“I failed one of my exams today.”** she sighs heavily. I feel her slowly slip her hand through the gap between my arm and body, she’s trying to get a hold of my arm. I decided to let her hug my free arm. I look at her and feel how sad she is. That’s why she’s drinking. I wanted to say something but I can’t seem to find the right words to say.

 **“I studied hard too. ”** her voice broke and my heart broke too. Poor Mina. I wish I could console her. **“Should I just quit law school entirely?”** She asks, she’s still clinging to me, hugging my arm tightly. I couldn’t offer much words so i just lay my head on head.

 **“Unnie, I think you’re the best. ”** I tell her.

She shouldn’t be this hard on herself. I never knew she was the type to get so worked up with failing grades. I feel bad for her.

 **“Thanks for picking me up, cub.”** She looks up while hugging my spare arm. She smiles at me, her eyes disappear. When she smiles, her gums show, it’s like she’s got 70 % gums and 30% teeth. I couldn’t help but notice how cute she gets when she drinks. I chuckle and just nod at her. 

**“Yeah. I had nothing important to do anyway.”** I whisper to her and notice that she’s laying her head on my shoulder now. She must feel sleepy. I just lay my head on her head and sigh. Poor MIna unnie. 

**“Precious girl.”** I whisper under my breath as Mina dozed off. 

Minutes later we arrive at our dormitory. Luckily Tzuyu responded quickly when I sent her a text to come help me with Mina. Mina has completely fallen asleep and I couldn’t dare to wake her up. Tzuyu, our dearest demon tree on the other hand had no problem with waking Mina up. She even managed to make Mina walk from our gate to our dorm.I on the other hand was the one to bring all our things inside. Once inside, we were greeted by Sana unnie who woke up because of all the Ruckus. 

**“Maybe we should dump her inside her room and leave her be.”** suggests Tzuyu as she lets Mina slide off of her onto the couch. I look at her.

 **“Look at how pretty our Minari is when drunk.”** Chuckles Sana unnie. I look at Mina and realize that she does look decent. 

**“You guys have got to help me.”** I tell them. I’m exhausted at this point. **“She’s got to change her clothes, brush her teeth, and remove her makeup.”** I tell them and they just stare at me.

 **“Can’t you just dump her some place and let her wake up and do all those things by herself?”** asks Tzuyu, she’s obviously unamused. I look at her and profusely shake my head.

 **“No, are you some animal or something?”** I ask her and she just shrugs.

 **“I can remove her makeup. Tzuyu can help her brush her teeth.”** Says Sana unnie groggily. I look at her. 

**“I won’t change her clothes!”** I tell them as if my life depended on it. **“I won’t do it!”** I protest to them. They just looked at me and nodded.

 **“Then don’t. Nobody’s forcing you.”** Says Tzuyu.

 **“You were the one who suggested it. You do it.”** Says Sana unnie nonchalantly. **“Besides, you’re both girls. What’s wrong with that?”** asks Sana unnie. I couldn’t help but gulp.

_What’s wrong with that? EVERYTHING. Tell me, how can someone like me, who’s into girls, undress an attractive lady? Really? I can’t even look at her directly and now you want me to freaking remove her clothes?_

**“Fine. I’ll do it.”** I replied coolly, I try to pretend that I don’t care. These people can’t understand what I am feeling since they’re all too straight to function! 

They both nod and Tzuyu started to wake Mina unnie up. The girl’s so obedient she woke up, even though drunk. She followed Tzuyu and Sana to the bathroom. Sana told me to go straight to Mina Unnie’s room and pick clothes for the girl. As I entered the room, I quickly open her drawer and pick sleeping clothes for her. 

As I wait for Mina, I notice a frame which was on her drawer. Inside the frame was the sketch that I had made for her. I just stare at it in disbelief, she actually framed it? I do not know why, but it made my heart happy even though it’s not much. 

_Mina unnie loves my drawing._

Not more than fifteen minutes later I hear someone knock so I open the door and is greeted by a half drunk Mina. Tzuyu was behind her. 

**“Our part is over. Time for you to change her clothes.”** She smiles slyly and she closes the door. Mina unnie groggily walks towards her bed and she sits. Wow, even when drunk she still so graceful. She looks up and stares at me.

 **“Unnie, here are your clothes. Can you manage to change yourself?”** I ask her, hoping that she can manage. 

**“Um, here’s your underwear. You might want to change into some fresh new underwear.”** I tell her shyly, I feel my face become hot.

She just nods so I immediately turn around and I start to hear her removing her clothes. I just try to look at the ceiling. **“Do you feel a lot better?”** I ask her.

 **“Yes.”** She replies flatly.

 **“Are you almost done changing clothes?”** I ask her. 

**“Almost … and … done.”** I hear her chuckle a bit, and I smile because of this. **“You can turn around now. I’m not naked anymore.”** Mina confidently says. I shudder with what she says but I obliged anyway. When I turn around I see how messed up her hair has become which made me laugh. 

**“Unnie…”** I trai off as I walk towards her. I picked the comb which was placed on the dresser and sat beside her. **“You’re so messy when you’re drunk.”** I chuckle as I start to comb her hair. She stays quiet until I finish combing her hair. 

**“You should rest now, unnie.”** I tell her as I guide her to her bed. Her eyes were already half closed which made me smile a lot. She looks really cute, I just wish I could look half as cute as her. **“I’ll go now. Okay?”** I tell her. As I was about to stand up, feel her hold my hand. I look at her and notice she’s directly looking at me now, her eyes, her piercing eyes, they were back now. They pierced through my soul.

 **“No. I want you to stay here with me.”** her tone was serious.

I look at her blankly. I’m pretty sure it’s the alcohol talking. Right? 

**“Please hold my hand until I fall asleep.”** She whispers, her eyes starting to close. I just look at her and notice how beautiful she looks when asleep. I didn’t even realize I already am smiling. I hold her hand, gently rubbing it, hoping that it would soothe her. The girl’s been through too much, I just wish could make her forget what’s making her sad. 

_Seeing her like this, breaks my heart._

The next day, I woke up just in time. I had classes in a while so I got ready. I went outside to the living room and discover Mina unnie standing by the kitchen sink, trying to fill the kettle with some water. Maybe she’ll want to drink coffee. She looked disheveled, not well even. I walk towards the refrigerator and grab a bottle of cold water. Good thing in our dorm, Nayeon unnie has prepared this medicine Kit found inside the cupboard, so I grab some hangover medicine as well and walk to Mina unnie. 

**“Coffee causes dehydration. Drink water instead.”** I place the water bottle on the counter, she looks at me, her hair all over the place. **“Here, you might need these too.”** I tell her as I place the medicine beside the water. 

**“Thanks.”** She smiles subtly and she turns the water faucet off. I just nod and walk off, not saying goodbye. I didn’t have the luxury of time. I needed to hurry for school. 

My classes came and went, I was tired. I mean, I’m always tired. What’s new? However, even though there were new things to learn, my mind kept coming back to Mina unnie. How she became sad. Does she hate losing that much? Aish. How can she be so hard on herself? It’s not as if the world’s going to end.

 **“Yah. Smol bean. It’s almost 5 o’clock. Want to grab dinner nearby?”** Tzuyu asks me as we walk through the corridor.

 **“Sure. Should we go to gangnam?”** I ask her.

 **“We can go wherever. I’m starving.”** Says the giant.

We increased our step’s pace. It’s for my own benefit. I don’t really like interacting with hungry Tzuyu. When she’s hungry, everything’s in chaos. So as much as possible I would I like to avoid making this girl hungry. Keep the giant well fed and things will be in order.

We were almost at the University’s main entrance when I receive a text. 

**_[KAKAO TALK]_ **

**_Min Woo:_ ** _Are you free right now?_

 **_Me:_ ** _I’m with a friend right now, I’m sorry._

 **_Min Woo:_ ** _Maybe your friend would like to join us._

_What did he just say? My friend could join as? The audacity._

I glance at Tzuyu, she doesn’t seem to be the nosy type. Should I invite her? I don’t want to leave her alone again. There’s nothing between me and Min Woo anyway. 

**“Hey, demon tree.”** I call her. She looks at me and wait for my response. **“A friend wants to join us. Should I invite him over?”** I ask her,genuinely hoping that she wouldn’t be nosy.

 **“Him?”** She asks me. I just nod. **“No problem. The real question is, am I the one who’s trespassing?”** she asks me.

 **“Trespassing?”** I ask her.

 **“You know, I don’t want to become a third wheel.”** She winks at me. 

**“Pabo. It’s not like that. Min Woo and I ---”** she cuts me off.

 **“Ah, so his name is Min Woo. Interesting.”** She slyly smiles at me.

 **“Nothing Is interesting about it.”** I tell her plainly. Because honestly, there’s nothing there. **“Min Woo and I, nothing’s there. It’s hollow. I’ve got no feelings for him.”**

 **“Has it been that long?”** asks Tzuyu.

 **“No, I’ve met him a few months back.”** I tell her as we walk towards the main entrance.

 **“I bet he’s the one who likes you!”** She teases me. I look at her and just stick my tongue out. 

Honestly, if he likes me, I don’t think I’d really make a big deal out of it. Just as we get past the main entrance gate, I spot Min Woo. He’s leaning on his car. He spots me and he waves at me. Tzuyu looks at the guy carefully and she smirks at me. 

**“Hey, I’m Jung Min Woo. Nice to meet you.”** he approaches tzuyu, reaching out for her hand.

 **“I’m Tzuyu. I’m Chaeng’s friend. What’s up?”** She casually greets him. They both shake each other’s hand. **“Yah. Son Chaeyoung. Aren’t you going to greet your friend here?”** the giant asks me jokingly. Min Woo shifts his gaze towards me and he smiles, like he always does.

I just nudge Min Woo, not really saying anything. He just nods and we all agree to get inside his car and head to Gangnam. Tzuyu and I sat on the back seat, Tzuyu insisted I sit beside the driver but I refuse. 

**“Yah. Son Chaeyoung, you forgot to take the bouquet I gave you last night.”** Min Woo suddenly mentioned something so unnecessary in front of Tzuyu. Tzuyu looks at me, her mouth wide open.

 **“Flowers?”** She whispers and I just shake my head, implying it had no meaning to me at all.

 **“Yah. Jung Min Woo, you might give Tzuyu the wrong idea about us. Idiot.”** I tell him and I just hear the both of them chuckle. What the hell? Is Tzuyu really my friend or is she my pimp?

 **“What do you think about us Tzuyu?”** Asks Min Woo. I look at Tzuyu and give her a threatening stare. 

_US? THERE IS NO ‘US’. THE AUDACITY._

**“Honestly, I can’t tell just yet.”** Replies Tzuyu coldly and she gave me a are-you-happy-now look. I smile at her, satisfied. 

I know Min Woo was just trying to joke around but he somehow comes off as pushy. Why is he acting this way? I never saw it before but, how the hell does he know where I am at the moment? It just seems like he always has the best timing when asking me out because when he does ask me out, I’m just nearby. Why is he trying too hard?

Just as I was about to get deeper into my thoughts, the car halted and I realize we’re already in Gangnam. I hurriedly get off, dragging Tzuyu with me. We wait for Min Woo but he says he’s going to park the car somewhere and that we should just get going. He’ll follow us soon. We both obliged and start roaming around gangnam. Street food filled the place and honestly, they all looked great. 

We ate and laughed. It even seemed like Min Woo disappeared, I hope he does. Now that I think about it, this is probably the last time I’m meeting him. 

**“Dahyun unnie!”** All of a sudden Tzuyu hugs Dahyun who supposedly came out of nowhere. 

**“You guys are here too?”** asks Dahyun. I nod and smile at her. 

**“Are you alone or something?”** the giant teases Dahyun and the three of us laugh. 

Just as I was about to bring something up, I see Mina in another food stall. I was about to point out that Mina is also here and laugh about how we’re having a small gathering when suddenly, as stocky guy walked towards her. They were talking about something.

 **“Is that Mina?”** I ask everyone, even though I’m pretty sure it was Mina.

 **“Yeah, it’s her. What a coincidence. Let me go talk to her.”** Says Dahyun as she walks past me and Tzuyu towards Mina and the guy. I see Mina smile when she saw Dahyun. They talked and she even introduced Dahyun and the guy to each other. I turn my gaze to Tzuyu and notice that she’s also fixated on what I am seeing.

All of a sudden, Dahyun points towards our direction. Mina and the guy looked at us and Mina waves. We both wave back and decide to go to them. 

**“It’s so nice to see you guys here.”** Says Tzuyu as she greets Mina. 

**“What are you guys doing here?”** Asks Mina.

 **“We’re just hanging out and we bumped into Dahyun unnie. One thing lead to another, and we bumped into you too.”** Replies Tzuyu. Mina Smiles and she looks at me for a second, she then took her eyes off of me. I notice the guy she’s with was just standing beside her, not really saying anything. 

**“Oh, his name is Kai.”** Says Mina as she points at the guy named Kai. I just look at him and smile. **“Kai, this is Tzuyu.”** Mina Unnie introduced Tzuyu first and the strangers shake hands and exchange greetings. Mina looks at me and she looked at Kai.

 **“Kai, this is Chaeyoung.”** Mina introduced me. I smile at Kai and shake his hand. 

**“Oh, Son Chaeyoung. Right?”** Kai asks me. I nod and smile.

 **“Wow you know that much about me.”** I chuckle. 

**“Yeah. My younger sister told me so much about you.”** Kai smirks and looks at Mina. My eyes widen, younger sister? I look at Mina and I caught a glimpse of her nudging Kai a bit.

 **“My name is Myoui Kai. I’m Mina’s older brother.”** he smiles at me, I don’t know why but I somehow felt a breeze of fresh air when he formally introduced himself. Now I can’t stop smiling. 

**“Wah. I thought you were her boyfriend!”** Exclaims Tzuyu and all of us laugh. Kai laughed the hardest.

 **“Oh please. Her? A boyfriend?—”** Mina suddenly cuts kai off by slightly nudging him. I can see the sibling tension between them. Kai chuckles and decided to keep quiet instead.

 **“Anyway, did you come here all by yourself?”** Mina asks Dahyun. 

**“Yeah. I wanted some alone time but ended up bumping into these idiots.”** Dahyun was implying to us. 

**“What about the both of you?”** Asks Mina. **“Did you guys come here all by yourself?”** she asked again. I looked at Tzuyu and I’m pretty sure she was about to say something stupid so I answered for us.

 **“Tzuyu and I came here with a friend but I guess, that friend is having a hard time finding a parking space.”** I reply.

 **“And who would that friend be?”** Asks Dahyun, she seemed curious. I was about to answer back when a hand found its way to my shoulder. Tzuyu smiled when she saw who it was.

 **“Chaeyoung, I was looking all over for you and Tzuyu.”** Says Min Woo.

Clearly everyone was taken aback, Min Woo’s hands were still on my shoulder. I moved away from him, I didn’t like that he’s touching me without consent. 

**“He’s the friend.”** Adds Tzuyu, practically introducing Min Woo to everyone. Everyone nods, even though they looked a little shocked. 

**“Hello, I’m Jung Min Woo. It’s my pleasure to meet you guys.”** He says and then he bows. 

**“What type of friend are you exactly?”** Dahyun asks. I look at Dahyun, she’s the one who seemed to be really shaken. 

_What the heck is Dahyun trying to do now?_

**“He’s like the type of friend who buys her flowers and takes her to dinner.”** Says Tzuyu. 

My mouth dropped with what she says. This giant’s got no mouth filter. Even Min Woo was taken aback. I look at everyone around me and I can tell, I wasn't the only one surprised. 

_Damn you Chou Tzuyu, you Demon tree._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please don’t forget to comment down below! If you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Have a good day!


	8. Who knew Yoda came from Taiwan?

**CHOU TZUYU’S POINT OF VIEW**

The ceiling looked empty, it is cream colored and it looked so boring. 

_I hate that ceiling._

My handphone buzzed, I sat straight up, grabbed my phone, and realized that I just received a message from the most important person in my life. The person who inspires me,who motivates me to do better, the person who means the world to me. 

_My Mom._

**_[MOM]_ **

_Good morning, darling. Are you awake now? If you are, please call me._

  
  


I immediately press call, the call hasn’t even reached the second ring but my mom answered it immediately. Hearing my mom’s voice is something else. It has been months since I’ve left Taiwan for Korea. Honestly, I miss everything back home. 

Mom and I talk everyday, whether we call, text, or if I have a good amount of free time, we video chat. This is something that I’ve promised her before leaving for University. I promised her that we’d talk at least twice a week and so far communication-wise, things are going pretty well. 

**“Are you still adjusting to Korea’s weather?”** Mom asks.

The weather isn’t too different but the thing is, I am not with Family which means I have less resources. Also, I miss my mom. Those reasons are enough for me to feel a little sad every now and then. 

**“Nope, I’m used to it now.”** I tell her. She didn’t ask the right question. 

**“What about food? Are you adjusting well to the food?”** She asks again.

I have to admit, I miss Taiwanese food. Even though Korean and Taiwanese food are both asian cuisines, there are still a lot of differences. Sometimes I crave for food back home and I find it difficult to find the same dishes here in Seoul. 

**“Mom …”** I trail off. **“Seriously, I’m fine here.”** I chuckle, to make her not ask more questions.

**“Should I send you more money? You know you can always ask for more.”** She insists.

**“No, don’t do that mom.”** I warn her. She’s starting to get extra again.

**“Should I send a house maid over there? Would you like you transfer to a bigger apartment?”** I hear her fuss again. I roll my eyes in frustration.

This is the reason why, even though it’s difficult to live here, I still chose to do so. Living with them felt like I wasn’t growing at all. I was always babied and honestly, it didn’t feel right. I just wanted to feel autonomy.

**“No.”** I made sure I sounded stern. **“I actually prefer living with my housemates.”** I smile to myself because it’s true. I love living here with these idiots.

**“Well, I guess you’re really staying.”** She sounded defeated. I sigh. I guess she still hasn’t given up on the idea of me studying in Taiwan.

**“Well, that’s what I’m saying mom.”** I try to sound cheerful.

**“Well, do well in your studies. I’ll call you tomorrow. Okay?”** She ends the call without waiting for my response. 

_Well, isn’t that nice._

My day has just started and I immediately had my mom asking me to choose between staying here or staying in Taiwan. Every morning she calls me like this. Of course, every morning like the good daughter that I am, refuse her in the most gentle way possible. I walk out of my room, with some of my books in my arms and is greeted by pure chaos. 

  
  


_Sana Unnie_

  
  


Hey, I’m not being mean! I’m just saying that this unnie is such a ball of sunshine that sometimes I can’t take all the positivity she has to offer. When I opened my door, she was already standing there waiting for me. I look at her blankly, like I usually do. 

**“Do you need anything unnie?”** I ask her, a little afraid of what’s on her mind.

**“I prepared something today.”** She smiles. 

  
  


_Oh god, what is it now?_

  
  


**“And?”** I ask her, not really sure what to say next.

**“I want you to partake in it.”** the girl says in a cute way. I look at her. Partake? Did just say partake? Is she a linguist now? Did she invent english? She’s using fancy words. 

**“Did you just say Partake?”** I hear a voice from the kitchen. It sounded like Nayeon unnie.

**“Yes I did~”** Says Sana unnie as she grabs my hand, leading me towards the kitchen. I lazily walk while the girl who looked like a shiba-inu dragged me.

In the kitchen were Mina Unnie, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon unnie. In the kitchen table, there’s food. It’s so weird for the kitchen table to be filled with food in the morning, it’s because we don’t usually eat together in the morning. We just wake up and start our day. I look at Sana unnie who looked pretty pleased. 

**“I see you’re improving your english. Is it for your TOEIC?”** Asks Mina unnie. Sana unnie nods.

**“What’s this all about?”** aks the smol bean, she’s referring to the food.

**“Well, you know, aside from improving my english, I’ve decided to improve my cooking.”** Says Sana unnie enthusiastically. I look at her, she’s hopeless.

**“So, like, you’re making us your guinea pigs?”** I ask her. Instead of correcting me, Sana unnie just made me sit down. 

**“Aren’t you guys happy I made something?”** She asked us as she sat down. She’s pouting, subtly. Jeez, it’s too early for that stuff. 

Everyone stared at each other at first, but then, my eyes laid on Nayeon unnie. The great Im Nayeon who couldn’t even cook one bit, the great Im Nayeon who always orders takeouts. I mean, I guess that’s what she’s good at. Then my eyes see Chaeyoung, the girl who couldn’t even reach the cupboard, let alone cook for us. Lastly, Mina unnie, she’s such a princess. I don’t think she should cook. She’s excused. We must protect this penguin at all cost.

**“Of course we’re happy. Thank you Sana unnie.”** I tell her, smiling at her brightly. She might be our last hope for home cooked meals.

We all started to eat. Honestly, Sana unnie’s cooking was decent. I wouldn’t mind eating this for the rest of my life. 

We all talked, asked how each of us are doing, and we basically just checked whether everyone is doing okay. Not long after that, we finished eating, I asked permission if I can go ahead. I actually needed to go because I had classes. Chaeyoung also had classes so she wanted to walk with me to school. It’s a good thing the unnies were so considerate of us. 

The walk from our dormitory to our University doesn’t take that long. Usually when I don’t have someone to accompany me, I just ride a Taxi. But whenever there’s Mina Unnie or Chaeyoung, walking would be fine. I enjoy walking when I have someone beside me. 

**“Yah, Demon Tree.”** The short girl calls me. I look at her, honestly, I’m not sure if I want to let her continue to call me that. 

**“What’s wrong, dwarf?”** I ask her. She looks at me distastefully. 

**“I just want to clear things up, really.”** She starts. I look at her, not sure with where she’s getting at. **“Min Woo and I, there’s nothing there.”** Says the short girl.

I’m not really sure whether she’s telling me the truth. Just because she doesn’t like Min Woo, doesn’t mean Min Woo doesn’t like her. I look at her and understand Min Woo. Son Chaeyoung is beautiful, she’s smart, she’s artistic, and she’s got this way of taking things so easily. She’s Son Chaeyoung after all. She’s a good catch. Honestly, I can’t blame the guy if he likes her. What’s not to like anyway? 

However, I just find it weird how it seems like he’s taking things hastily. He’s moving a little too fast in my opinion.

**“Trust me, he likes you.”** I tell her. She stares at me. I’m not sure whether she’s plotting to kill me with that stare or she just stares like that. 

**“I know.”** The girl replies flatly. I just stare at her out of shock. 

**“So you know? Then why are you saying there’s nothing there?”** I ask her. 

She stares at me for awhile, it seemed like she wanted to say something. It feels like she’s holding back her thoughts. What is she thinking? Is it something to really make a big deal about? I see her struggle to respond. We were still walking at this point. I hear her sigh.

**“You could say, I’m not attracted to him.”** She finally says. 

I only saw Min Woo once but I have to say he looks pretty decent. I’d say that he looks better than the average korean male. I mean, he’s basically better looking than my male classmates. I’d say he’s a pretty okay catch. So far, he doesn’t seem weird or sketchy. So far.

**“You’re not attracted to him?”** I ask her, I was almost in disbelief. She looked at me and then she stared at the sky while walking. It looks like she’s careful with what she’s going to say. 

  
  


_I honestly wanted to ask if what she’s trying to say is that she’s not attracted to men._

  
  


**“Well, Demon Tree, Jung Min Woo isn’t my style.”** She looked at me blankly. Plain. She even seemed bored with our conversation.

I didn’t bother asking her what that meant. It felt like I’ve asked her enough questions. Who cares anyway? She’s my friend, if she says she doesn’t like someone, I believe her. We kept quiet after that. We arrived at the University and went our separate ways. We do have a class together but it wasn’t until later. 

The day went on as usual. A bunch of new lessons were discussed today, and assignments were given. Nothing special happened, just like the usual. I’m just a bored University student away from home. 

Honestly, it’s a good thing I live with the people I’m living with right now. Though they may be sometimes bizarre, I honestly don’t mind. At first, I thought that moving to Korea is something that’s risky. My family thought I was crazy. I thought I was crazy. Even before during my flight, my family tried to talk me out of my plan. However, I, Chou Tzuyu, did not give in. Sure, I’d be a lot more comfortable in Taiwan. However, I wanted independence. Living with my family, felt suffocating. 

**“Yah, Chou Tzuyu.”** I hear the smol bean call out to me. Our classes are over and we decided to walk home together. Walking home with a companion is a lot safer. 

**“What, Son Chaeyoung?”** I ask her. I smile after saying her complete name. 

  
  


_Her name should be Small Chaeyoung._

  
  


**“Sana unnie wants us home.”** Says the girl who looks like a cub.

**“What for? That’s a first.”** It’s just weird for Sana unnie to want us home. It’s because first of all, she’s rarely home, second, she’s never done this before. 

However, instead of complaining, Chaeyoung insisted on just following our unnie. We went home as quickly as possible. We took a cab and I initiated on paying. Honestly, it’s just a reflex. Chaeyoung didn’t mind. Though I’m pretty much aware that Chaeng’s family is pretty well-off themselves. 

**“I need you guys to help me clean the dorm.”** answers Sana unnie after we asked her why she wanted us home. I see Chaeyoung from the corner of my eye just nod. She excused herself to put our things away. I just look at Sana unnie, what a weird girl she is.

**“Is that it? You wanted us home cause you needed help?”** I couldn’t stop myself from feeling a little bit annoyed. She looks at me and then she smiles. 

  
  


_Wow, I guess I’m defeated._

  
  


**“Don’t you want to help me out?”** She asks me, she gave me this look. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt a little weird. 

**“Are you my mom or something?”** I ask her. **“You’re acting like my mom.”** I tell her.

**“Well, in that case, you should start calling me mommy then.”** She smiles at me. I can’t help myself but just look at her blanky. I’m unamused. 

**“Fuck no.”** I tell her plainly as I look around and notice that the dorm’s spotless. I look at Sana unnie. **“I thought you wanted us to clean the dorm. It’s obviously spotless. Seriously unnie, why’d you want us home?”** I ask her. She looks at me like a puppy. 

  
  


_I can’t resist puppies._

  
  


**“Yoda-yah…”** she trails off. **“I was lonely here. I was all alone. Even the people next door weren’t responding to my texts.”** she pouts. 

The girl started to explain that all she needed was company. She said that me and Chaeng had no classes so she thought about us. She told me that if she only had another choice she wouldn’t bug us that much. When Chaeng came back from her room, she expected to start cleaning and Sana Unnie had to re-explain again. Miraculously, Chaeng didn’t mind at all. She even found Sana unnie’s clinginess funny and amusing. 

**“Ah, seriously unnie. You could’ve told us you wanted to hang out. We would’ve bought snacks.”** chuckles Chaeng as Sana unnie grabs her nail polish kit. We’re currently in the living room, the television turned on and Tzuyu and I preparing ourselves for a pedicure from Sana unnie.

**“Where’d you learn to color nails?”** I ask Sana unnie. Chaeyoung and Sana unnie looked at each other and laughed.

**“Yah, Yoda. Didn’t you do this type of thing when you were younger?”** asked Sana unnie.

**“Don’t you have a childhood or something?”** asked the dwarf.

I just look at them, not really knowing what to say. I mean, back in Taiwan I was treated like a baby. I wasn’t allowed to cook all by myself and I wasn’t allowed to clean all by myself. Basically, our house helpers were always there to help me or accompany me to anything that I needed. Only when I moved to Korea, that was the only time that I was able to clean my room all by myself. Those are the reasons why I badly wanted to study here. I wanted to at least do basic things by myself. 

**“I don’t know.”** I breathe out. Sana unnie then sat beside me, she grabbed my recently scrubbed feet. I guess she’ll start now?

**“You don’t know? How come you don’t know?”** Chaeyoung interrogates some more. Sana unnie started applying whatever it was needed to start polishing someone’s nails.

**“What types of chores do you do back home?”** Sana unnie looks up. Waiting for my answer. 

**“I don’t do any.”** I answer her. Both of their eyes widen.

**“EH?”** exclaims Sana unnie. I look at her and just nod.

**“You must come from a rich Family then.”** Says Chaeyoung as she scrolls through her phone. 

I just stare at Chaeyoung, I wanted to deny it but what would that make me? I don’t know. I guess my family lives comfortably in Taiwan. But that’s something I don’t want to talk about. Like, as much as possible, I want to avoid the topic . Sana unnie continues to work on my foot while Chaeng nonchalantly turns her attention to the Television.

**“What about you, Sana unnie?”** I ask her.

**“What about me?”** she asks back, not looking up. 

**“Don’t you have classes today?”** I ask her.

**“Yeah. It’s so weird how you had the time to cook for us in the morning. You almost always have no time to be here in the dorm.”** Chaeng looks up from her phone, obviously waiting for Sana unnie’s answer.

**“Y’all nosy.”** She chuckles and then gets back to polishing my nails again.

**“It’s being inquisitive.”** I reply. Chaeng stares at me, for sure she’s thinking of something to say.

**“Wow. Big words for a giant person like you.”** Chaeng chuckles. I give her a deadly stare. 

**“Will there ever be a day when the both of you won’t bicker?”** ask Sana Unnie. We stare at her and profusely shake our heads. Impossible, we wouldn’t be friends if we don’t bicker.

There’s a theory where when people reincarnate, they travel together with souls that have lived with in the past. 

To make it easier to understand, your mom could be your sister in your past life. Your brother could have been your uncle in your past life. Maybe, your friends right now could have been your friends in your past life and of course, you also travel to your next life with your enemies. 

Have you ever encountered a person for the first time and you just don’t like them for some reason? That’s probably because they’re your enemy in your past life. I look at Chaeng and I feel like she could’ve been a lion in her past life and that she had eaten me alive. Maybe that’s why we always bicker? I don’t know, sometimes my thoughts scare me.

**“Anyway, back to my question.”** I say as I stare at Sana Unnie who’s still fixated on my foot. 

**“Don’t you have classes today Sana unnie?”** I ask her again and this time she looks up and she gave me this cheerful smile. I couldn’t help but stare at her.

**“Yes maám. I don’t have class today maám.”** She smiles brightly at me which made me smile too. I then realized Chaeyoung was just staring at us, giving us a suspicious look.

**“What are you looking at?”** I ask the short girl.

**“I have eyes that’s why I stare, idiot.”** She replies fast. 

After a few minutes, Sana unnie has finished putting nail polish on my feet and it was now Chaeyoung’s time to get her feet done. As I let my feet dry, I turn my gaze towards the television and decided to watch the show, peacefully. I have to admit that I don’t entirely understand what they are saying. So whenever the hosts laugh, I just laugh along. 

**“I bet you’re just laughing because the hosts are laughing.”** I hear Sana unnie say. I turn my gaze to her and I just nod my head apologetically.

**“How’d you know that unnie?”** asks Chaeyoung.

**“It’s because I’m a foreigner too. Though I totally understand Korean Variety shows now, back then it was a pain in the ass. I had a difficult time trying to adjust.”** Says Sana unnie as she stares at me.

**“I do find it a little difficult to understand.”** I smile at her, I don’t want her to worry much about me. I am sitting almost next to her, so I decided to scoot closer to her and lean my body against hers. 

**“I can’t imagine going to another country and learning an unfamiliar language while studying and being away from my family.”** Sighs Chaeyoung. Both Sana unnie and I agreed to what she said. 

  
  


I do think what we did was really ballsy.

  
  


**“I had difficulty adjusting to food back then. I guess you’re currently adjusting to Korean food too?”** Asks Sana unnie. I wanted to tell her that I miss Taiwanese food. But if I tell her the truth, she’ll just be worried about me. I wouldn’t want that. As much as possible, I don’t want to bother Sana unnie. 

**“I think you guys are really brave.”** We hear Chaeyoung. **“Honestly, Thank you for coming to Korea. Thank you for choosing this dorm. It wouldn't be fun if you guys aren’t here.”** She adds, the smol bean sounded serious.

I was silent for a while, I wasn’t really sure how to react to what she said. Sana unnie however, went in to hug Chaeyoung like her baby. After the hug they both looked at me, they were obviously expecting something to come out of my mouth.

_Should I be serious? Or should I respond using sarcasm?_

**“Hey, Fun size. Stop being so cheesy.”** I tell her Sarcastically and the three of us laugh. 

Our unplanned get-together went on and a little while later, Nayeon unnie and Mina unnie joined in. We talked about stupid stuff and painted our nails. We just bonded like sisters, really. It felt nice, having these people as my roommates. Each of us have our own personalities, but together we become this one group that extremely needs guidance. Honestly, even though each of their personalities combined makes me want to rip my head out, I’d still prefer ripping my head out than going back to my life in Taiwan. 

Everything ended at around quarter to one in the morning. However, by that time it was only Sana unnie and I who were left in the living room. The other girls already headed to their respective rooms to rest.

I look over to Sana unnie and notice that she looked tired. She wasn’t really talking so I decided to sit in silence with her. 

  
  


_She’s probably thinking about things she can’t tell me._

  
  


Even though I’ve only been with these people for awhile, I kind of understand what makes them themselves. Sana unnie of all these people, I understand the best. Among all the people here, I’ve spent the most time with her outside of the University.

Sana Unnie is the type to say what’s on her mind when she’s upset or when she’s going through something. However, this time, even though I sense that she’s thinking of something, she chose to keep quiet about it. 

  
  


_Maybe I don’t know her entirely yet._

  
  


I look over to her once more and notice that the girl has completely dozed off. I just stare at her, not really sure what to do with this girl. She looks cute, vulnerable even. Sana unnie looking like this, makes me want to protect her. How can she sleep just like that? Is she a baby or something? She looked like a puppy.

I notice that the television is still running so I grab the remote control and turn it off, careful not to make any noise. I stand up and carefully enter Sana unnie’s room, good thing she left her room unlocked. I immediately grab her blanket. 

**“Are you a child? You know you’re not supposed to doze off anywhere you please.”** I whisper under my breath as I cover her with a blanket . I can’t let this girl catch cold, can I? 

  
  


_That’s like my social responsibility or whatever._

  
  


**“Pabo. Am I supposed to take care of you? I’m not your keeper.”** I whisper, wishing she won’t hear whatever I was saying. After “tucking” her to bed, I went straight to my own room and slept. I had classes the next day so I also needed rest. 

The next day, I expected to receive a text from my mom. I expected Her to ask me to call her, but instead, I wake up on my own. Maybe it’s my own body clock, probably my body’s already used to waking up early. 

I look around and decide to get ready for school. I do the usual, take a bath, brush my teeth, put my bathrobe on, eat cereal, and go to my room to dress up for school. I usually take a decent amount of time when getting dressed, putting on makeup, and brushing my hair. After all that hocus pocus, I grab my things and head outside to the living room. 

As I walk across the living room to the front door, Mina unnie calls out to me. I turn to her and just stare. 

**“Tzuyu-ah. Sana unnie told me to give this to you.”** Says the girl who looks like a penguin. She shakes something that she’s holding. I was too far away to know what it was so I walked closer to her and realised what it is. 

**“A bento?”** I ask her, my tone obviously surprised. She just nods as i accept the lunch box. **“But why though?”** I ask her again, I was completely confused.

**“I received one too. She does this every now and then.”** She smiles at me, her gums show. 

  
  


_A Princess._

  
  


**“Don’t sweat it, kid. Everyone in the dorm received one.”** the penguin pats my head as she walks by me. I catch to her pace and walk with her. Then we decide to go to the Univ together. 

**“How are you liking Korea so far?”** in the middle of our walk, the penguin suddenly asked. 

How do I like Korea so far? I mean, aside from the language barrier, I am also adjusting to the weather, food, and people. Honestly, so far, Korea to me, is a place I am not yet properly acquainted too. 

  
  


_To make it simpler, the place is shitty but my roommates are delightful so I guess it’s okay?_

  
  


**“South Korea’s okay, I guess?”** I answer Mina unnie halfheartedly. She just looked at me, she’s probably thinking of what to say.

**“I’m kind of worried about how you’d adjust here.”** She seemed calm, elegant even. We were still walking while having this conversation. **“You know, I was lucky to have Momo and Sana here. I was so glad to know I wasn’t the only Japanese in the dorms.”** She smiled, she seemed to be thinking of how she met the other girls the first time.

**“I worry about you because no one from your country lives nearby.”** She says softly. I just look at her and smile, I mean, just because another person from my country lives near us doesn’t mean I’ll be friends with that person.

**“Unnie…”** I try to hide my amusement with how innocent she is. **“I’m doing fine, really.”** I smile at her, making sure she doesn’t think much of such things. 

**“Are we doing a good job making you feel at home?”** she asked. 

This time, I cannot help but be amazed with how concerned this unnie can get. When everyone said she’s an angel, I thought maybe because she looks like one. But now, I think, maybe what the others meant was she’s got the heart of an angel. I look at her and I just couldn’t stop myself from smiling. 

A little while later, we arrive at the University. Mina unnie and I went our separate ways. Entering the University grounds, I see lots of stalls installed all over the place. I also see students gathered in some stalls and some stalls completely deserted. I decided to come close to where the buzz was happening and see signs about clubs and organizations. I see different types of clubs placed all over the designated area. There’s a club for dancing, glee club, theatre club, sports club, and many more. 

**“Jesus, who’s got time for things like this?”** I mumble under my breath. I observe the festivity a little more and see students really are hyped up for school organizations. I see students busily scan through the stalls and asking for pamphlets in which the organizational information is printed. 

**“You’re probably thinking this is a waste of time, huh?”** out of nowhere the smallest girl in our dormitory suddenly asked me. I look at her and I pretend that I wasn’t amused. She smiled at me.

**“How did you find me?”** I ask her. She stared at me, judgingly. 

**“You stick out like a sore thumb, Demon tree.”** The short girl replies without hesitation. I wanted to smack her, I really do. However, I don’t believe in child abuse.

**“You should be careful in a crowd like this.”** I smile at her, hoping she’d ask me why so that I could burn her with my clapback. 

**“Why?”** The cub has fallen into my trap.

**“Short people like you might get trampled on.”** I smile at her, not minding whatever she was about to say back. The cub, Son Chaeyoung, stared at me. She looked like she was about throw hands but she looks really cute. 

**“Whatever long limbs.”** She just smiles in defeat. **“What club are you applying to?”** she asked. 

Huh, I wasn’t sure myself. Honestly, I don’t think I'm interested in applying to anything. I feel like, clubs would just waste my time. It’s not like clubs would give me extra points in my subjects.

**“I don’t know. What about you?”** I ask her, I’ll probably apply to whatever she applies to. She just stares into the sea of club stalls. She then turns her gaze back to me, she also looked dissatisfied with the choice. **“Well?”** I ask her once again, this time I was hoping for an answer.

**“I’ll probably join dance club.”** She replies.

Dance club. I once was enrolled in a dance class back in Taiwan, it hasn’t been that long since I stopped. I’m not really sure if I should continue it but if Chaeyoung does apply, I sure will apply as well. What could go wrong? I mean, I think it’ll be okay.

**“We should probably apply together.”** I tell her nonchalantly. 

**“So you dance. That’s a new thing.”** She replied, she sounded surprised. I just shrug, I mean, doesn’t everyone have a hidden talent?

After the fuzz in the school grounds, I went straight to class. As per usual, nothing new happened. All we did were boring and uninteresting lectures. After all my morning lectures were done, I texted Chaeyoung and Mina unnie if they wanted to go to lunch together. Mina unnie was busy while Chaeyoung responded immediately. Chaeyoung and I had lunch together, and as expected, she also had a bento made by Sana unnie. It felt weird how Sana unnie is becoming so attentive lately. 

  
  
  
  


I stare into the blank wall, only hearing sounds which are coming from the television. We all just finished eating dinner and cleaning up. Nayeon unnie ordered take out once again. I also noticed that Jeongyeon unnie wasn’t here. She’s usually here whenever Nayeon unnie orders takeouts. I don’t know, it’s been weeks since Jeongyeon unnie came over. She’s probably busy at her job. 

Time check, it’s a quarter to 10 pm. 

I let myself relax and sink into the couch, I wasn’t sleepy just yet. The television show was getting boring and the dormitory was growing silent by the minute. It felt like I was suffocating because of the boringness around me. I stand up, grab my wallet, phone, and decided to head out of our dormitory. It just felt like I needed to take a walk. 

As I stroll through the breezy walkways of where I live, I realized that I haven’t really strolled our neighborhood streets at night. The air was cold, the streets were clean, the stars are out, and the night is peaceful. I couldn't help but smile, I guess I really needed this. I needed to clear my head for a bit. 

I was thirty minutes in my walk when I saw a convenience store. Good thing I brought my wallet with me, I felt thirsty so I went straight in and was greeted by no one. Usually cashiers greet you when you enter convenience stores but not tonight I guess?

I went to the drinks section and chose my poison; bottle water. I walk towards the counter and see a familiar person. I was pretty sure she was as shocked as I am. We just stared at each other for some time, not really saying anything to each other. Is this even for real? Am I dreaming or something?

**“Tzuyu-ah…”** the girl trails off.

**“What are you doing here?”** I ask her, shock radiating from me.

**“I can explain.”** The girls insists, she sounded careful.

**“When does your shift end?”** I ask her abruptly. She just stares at me, she probably thinks everything is weird. I raise both my eyebrows, waiting for her to answer. 

**“In about 10 minutes.”** I hear her mumble under her breath.

**“I’ll wait for you outside. We need to talk.”** I tell her, not waiting for a response. 

I march myself outside and sit on the seats provided by the convenience store. I just stare at her, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Why is she here at this hour? What exactly is happening right now? Thoughts flooded my head. 

As I wait for her to finish her shift, I see another female enter the convenience store, they briefly engage in a conversation. After some time, I see Sana walk out of the convenience store. I wanted to ask her so many things, but I’m afraid she might be offended. 

**“Sana unnie, what is exactly happening? Why are you working at a convenience store?”** I ask her. She was avoiding my gaze, she’s probably embarrassed that she’s been caught. 

**“Sana unnie, is everything alright?”** I ask her, trying to make the air between us comfortable.

I see her take a deep breath and then she turned her gaze to me, she looked serious but defeated. She doesn’t seem like the Sana unnie that I know.

**“Tyuzu-ah…”** She trails off. **“Sana unnie has dropped out of school.”** She blankly replies. 

**“So suddenly? But why?”** I ask her. She just stared at me and then she shrugged.

**“Unnie just needed a break.”** She smiled and then she grabs something from her bag. It was a bottle of water, she then handed it to me. I take it and just stare at her, not sure how things became like this.

**“Unnie, I have so many questions in mind.”** I tell her honestly. She just nods her head in agreement. **“But I won’t ask you anymore.”** I tell her.

I won’t ask her anymore questions because I know she’s already burdened as of the moment. If I ask her more questions, I might come off as pesky. She’s the one to decide whether she’d tell me what’s going on with her. I won’t force her to do anything. 

**“Why is that?”** She asked. She looked curious.

**“You might not want to tell me. It’s for you to decide whether you tell me or not.”** I tell her sincerely. She smiles with what I say. 

**“However, all I want to know is if you’re doing fine.”** I add.

**“I’m okay, Tzuyu-ah! I’m working for extra money.”** She chuckles. **“Don’t get me wrong, my parents are sending me enough but since I have nothing to do these days, I might as well get a job. Right?”** She enthusiastically asked and I just nod at her. 

**“Do they know?”** I ask her. She pouts and then I see her shake her head. She just looked at me like a child. I nod at her, implying that I understand her. **“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”** I smile at her. She smiles back and she leans in and patted my head. 

**“Did you enjoy lunch?”** This time, she sounded a lot more cheerful than she did a little while ago.

**“Why did you pack us lunch unnie?”** I ask her out of curiosity. She just gave me this look, I didn’t know what it was but it meant something for sure. 

**“Didn’t you like it?”** She asked, she even sounded really cute. Really defeated, I just smile and just shake my head.

**“No, Silly. I loved it.”** I tell her. **“You’re amazing.”** I shyly add, even though I did not intend for those words to come out of my mouth. Sana unnie looked surprised. 

**“I just thought you missed home cooked meals. That’s all.”** She nods at me. 

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This girl right here have been having a difficult time lately and she still thinks about other people. On the surface, Sana unnie may seem like she’s all cutesy. But in reality, she’s more than that.

**“I wanted you to feel at home.”** She smiled and I, myself, couldn’t stop myself from smiling too. I was about to say something when my phone suddenly rang. It was my mom. I excused myself from Sana unnie and walked just a few steps away.

**“Hello, Mom?”** I answer, where I am currently standing I see Sana unnie. She’s scrolling through her phone.

**“Tzuyu, I just sent you your allowance for the month.”** My mom immediately replies without a greeting. 

**“Mom, you could’ve texted me.”** I tell her, of course I was joking. 

**“I just wanted to hear your voice. That’s all.”** She defends herself, I can’t blame her for missing her own daughter. Right? 

**“I know mom, I miss you too.”** I tell her, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

**“Go check your bank account in the morning, okay?”**

**“Yes mom. I’ll be sure to do so.”**

**“Anyway, Tzuyu-ah.”**

**“Yes?”** I ask her.

**“If you ever feel like going back here, contact me. Okay?”** I can hear the worry in her voice.

Though my mom can be insistent at times, she’s still my mother. I sometimes feel like she’s a handful. But honestly, I don’t think I should be complaining. I stare at Sana unnie, she’s still scrolling through her phone. I couldn’t help but smile, even just the sight of her makes me feel less shittier. 

**“Don’t worry, Mom. I guess I’m completely happy here now.”** I tell her. 

We both say our goodbyes and we ended the call. I happily walk towards Sana unnie. Honestly, whatever she’s going through right now I’ll make sure to cheer her up. She’s been so kind to me and i just want to repay her. 

She looks up, her eyes, they looked tired but I still see her smile. How can a person be still this positive even after dropping out of school? She’s such a breath of fresh air. A ball of sunshine even. It’s just weird, how I act around her. How I become soft in general. How I just notice every little detail about her. I really think I should I just admit it. 

  
  


_I think I have a little crush on Sana unnie._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. The Outing (Part 1)

**SON CHAEYOUNG’S POINT OF VIEW**

The day started unlike any other day I’ve experienced in my University life. I was awoken by Chou Tzuyu standing beside my bed, looking at me. It seemed like she was staring at me while I was sleeping, I quickly sat up. A little bit shaken, I still managed to cover my bare face. Then I realized it’s only Chou Tzuyu so I just gave up and let her see me in my lowest form. Son Chaeyoung with disheveled hair and dry saliva on the corner of her mouth stared at her, deadpan. 

**“The hell, what the fuck? Do you usually do that?”** I ask her, my voice groggy.

**“Do what? Be pretty?”** She asked, her voice without a trace of care. I just stare at her, how can someone be unbelievably off-beat? 

**“No. Stare at someone sleeping. You creepy fuck.”** I mumble under my breath. 

**“I can hear you, you know. This early in the morning and you’re already using your potty mouth.”** She tells me. I just stare at her, waiting for her to tell why she’s in my room this early. She stares at me. Oh God.

**“What is it? Why are you here this early?”** I ask her, I cover my mouth. I’m trying to keep my morning breath all to myself. 

**“Don’t you remember? Today is our outing with the unnies.”** She seemed tired.

I just stare at her, she isn’t dressed yet though. It seems like she has just woken up. I scratch my head, it’s like a thing that I do whenever there are things that I find confusing. As of the moment, I don’t understand what the giant is talking about. What outing?

**“The outing, Chaeng. We rent a guest house somewhere and drink together.”** She sounded almost apologetic for my forgetful ass. I stared at her and realized that this outing was something that we all agreed on during our group dinner months ago. I was about to panic about not packing my things yet, when suddenly I hear someone talk.

**“Oh? You guys are already awake.”** I see Mina unnie standing on my doorway. She looked beautiful as always, wearing her signature gummy smile. I immediately fix my hair and smile back at her. **“You guys are ready, right?”** She asked the both of us. 

**“Yes unnie.”** Says the giant brightly and I just nod with her. Mina nods back and walks away to do whatever she needs to do. Tzuyu stared at me afterwards and she gave this look. A look that suggested she’s thinking about something, I’m not entirely sure whatever it is yet. I just stare back at her. 

Yes, Tzuyu and I usually do a staring competition.

**“WHAT?”** I ask her, unaware that my tone came out a little too aggressive than it’s supposed to. She stared at me and gave me an annoyed look.

**“Yah. How can you be like that towards me? You act like a puppy towards Mina unnie while you act like a deranged dog around me. Isn’t that too much?”** She asked me.

I just stare at her and realize she’s right. Whatever, she acts like a demon towards me too. I’m just being fair.

**“Mina unnie is our unnie.”** I tell her, my eyes still half closed. **“We’re the same age so I’ll act as I please towards you.”** I tell her casually. 

**“You know, Chaeng. If I didn’t know better I’d think …”** She trails off and then she snorts. **“Nah, that’s impossible.”** She tells herself. I just stare at her, confused.

**“You’d think what?”** I ask her.

**“I’d honestly think that you’ve got the hots for Mina unnie.”** She chuckles. I just stare at her, not sure what to feel. **“Of course I’m wrong, right? You’re as straight as spaghetti pasta.”** She chuckles as she ruffled my hair before leaving me alone in my room, I’m completely speechless.

  
  


_Spaghetti pasta is straight until it’s wet. I’ve been wet for the longest time now. I’m as confused as I can be._

  
  


My day started out like that. Being awoken like that was no issue. I had to wake up one way or another anyway. Later that day, after lunch to be exact, we had to drive to where we’re supposed to have our “staycation”. Jihyo unnie and Nayeon unnie have their own cars. Since there we’re only two cars, we had to divide the group by two. At first, we all agreed that we’d just ride with our dorm mates. However, for some reason Nayeon unnie wanted Jeongyeon unnie to ride in her car and because of that I had to adjust and ride with Jihyo unnie.

**“Are both of you doing okay back there?”** Asks Jihyo unnie while we were in the middle of I don’t know where. Both Momo and Jihyo were seated upfront while I sat in the passenger seat with none other than Kim Dahyun. Even though we live next to each other, I haven’t seen that much of her. 

**“You feel weird, right?”** Asks Momo unnie as she looks back at us. I shake my head.

**“Why would she feel weird?”** Asks Dahyun, her tone is a little nonchalant. 

**“I was just trying to start a conversation because you guys are so quiet.”** Says Momo in retaliation. I turn my gaze to Dahyun, she’s sitting right next to me. She looked at me like she wanted to say something, but she wavers. **“Didn’t you say you know each other, Dahyun-ah?”** Asks the nosy Momoring. 

I waited for Dahyun to answer back but the car became silent instead. The air felt awkward so I turned my attention to the rear-view mirror and notice Jihyo unnie is looking at me. When she realized that I am looking back at her, she turns her attention to the road. 

**“Stop being so nosy Momo.”** I hear Jihyo unnie chuckle. Momo unnie then turns her back and faces Jihyo unnie instead, she gave Jihyo a defeated look. **“You shouldn’t really be scaring our Chaeyoung like that.”** She looks at me through the rear-view mirror and I smile at her. 

**“No worries. I think it’s cute that you’re asking questions, Momo unnie.”** I smile at her, I then see Dahyun in my peripheral vision. She turned her gaze to me. I turned to her nonchalantly too, though there was only minimal space between us I managed not to flinch. **“What? What are you looking at?”** I ask her, I pretend to sound aggressive but fail to do so and just chuckle as a result. 

The first time I saw Dahyun after our breakup, I honestly didn’t know how to react. Should I be sorry? Shall I act relentless? Should I act like I do not know her? I honestly had these thoughts. The pressure of the situation made me really confused. However, as we got to talking, I realized things were okay. She wasn’t bitter, I wasn’t bitter, and we just thought that acting like idiots will just ruin our living conditions. Even though I’ve done a terrible thing to Dahyun, she was still able to forgive me. I’m thankful for that. 

Though I rarely hung out with Dahyun, Jihyo, and Momo, I still found the ride fun. The three of them were talkative. We talked about anything under the sun. I don’t know, the four of us had a good talk about random topics. The drive took us more than two hours. By the time we got to our destination, it was almost 5 pm. 

When we all planned about the “staycation” during that group dinner months ago, I thought of maybe a bungalow with a fridge, one big room where we’d stay and sleep, and a comfort room for us to puke in. However, I think my unnies had different things in mind. The place was huge. The second I stepped foot out of jihyo unnie’s Mercedes, my eyes were instantly glued to the rest house.

**“Holy crap. This place is awesome.”** I mumble under my breath. I look around and notice that the other girls were also amazed, except for Tzuyu and Mina unnie. Both of them seemed like this isn’t something special to them. After parking the cars, all of us proceed inside the rest house. I hurriedly ran towards Tzuyu to catch up to her phase. **“Jesus, how the heck am I supposed to pay for my share for this thing?”** I ask Tzuyu, not really expecting an answer. 

Though, I do consider my family well-off. But the thing is, my parents are the ones who work and not me. Asking for too much money from them isn’t really something I’d want to do. 

**“You don’t have to.”** I hear the giant talk and I look at her, still walking. 

**“Should we not pay the rest house owner then?** I ask her sarcastically. 

You know, this bickering thing between me and Tzuyu really has become the norm for me. It’d be a weird day if Tzuyu and I aren't arguing over something so small. She stares at me, her eyes had no expression, the usual. 

**“Do you even read our group chat?”** She asked me. I just stare at her. She’s usually the one who doesn’t read or reply. How dare she ask me that. 

**“Aren’t you and Mina unnie thee ones who do not reply as much?”** I asked her. She looked at me, confused. My question made her think. 

**“That’s not the point.”** She clarifies. **“The point is, you did not read the thread about the staycation. Don’t you know you don’t have to pay?”** She asked me. I stare at her, I’ve become even more confused now.

**“I don’t know what’s happening. I just woke up today and I was told we’re going somewhere. That’s basically how my day started.”** I just blurted out in retaliation. She just nods, she’s just listening to me. She’s probably not even really listening. The other girls were already heading inside the rest house while the both of us were left behind.

**“Jihyo unnie’s family owns this rest house.”** She stares at me, I was a little taken aback, I stare at the building.

The rest house was a two-storey building, it looked like top-notch architects and engineers worked on the place. The information didn’t really surprise me, I mean, the girl drives a Mercedes-Benz. Of course she’s rich. As I entered inside, I was greeted by a large living room. Tzuyu left me behind after answering my question, that’s why I was pretty much all by myself when I came in. 

It was way past dinner time so Jeongyeon unnie, Jihyo unnie, Tzuyu, and Sana unnie decided to drive to the nearest market to buy something for dinner. This left Nayeon unnie, Momo unnie, Mina unnie, Dahyun, and me to fend for ourselves while the slightly responsible people (excerpt for Tzuyu and Sana) went out to buy groceries.

The house was huge and when I say huge, I mean HUGE. The place was well-lit, you know, the type where I could take nice photographs. That’s the first thing I noticed when I entered the rest house. I noticed the effort put into the lighting by the interior designer, it honestly feels like I’m in my happy place. While I admire the beautiful lighting the place had to offer, the others were busy minding their own business. 

Momo and Nayeon unnie were probably busy checking out rooms together. I don’t know where Mina unnie is but based on her personality, she’s probably playing games on her phone somewhere or she might just be in the comfort room freshening herself up. While taking loads of selfies, I see Dahyun all by herself outside.

Just outside of the Rest House is a garden. The place was spacious and there was also an area to cook outside like a grill and there were also tables and chairs. I walked outside, although I wanted to take more selfies, I also felt the need to help Dahyun set up the grill and tables. We didn’t really talk, what topic was there to converse about anyway?

Surprisingly, Jihyo unnie and company didn’t take that long buying groceries. They brought tons of things for tonight's dinner and breakfast tomorrow. The others hung out inside the Rest house while Jeongyeon unnie, Dahyun, Mina unnie, and me took care of dinner. Honestly, it wasn’t hard work. Dahyun and I were just grilling marinated and raw meat while Mina and Jeongyeon were the ones prepping the vegetables. 

**“Stop staring at them. You look like a total creep.”** I hear Dahyun whisper under her breath. I stared at her, I was offended.

**“Looking at what?”** I ask her, totally playing the innocent card. I hear her snort.

**“You’re just watching Mina and Jeongyeon the whole time we’re grilling. Good thing they have their backs turned away from us.”** She says nonchalantly. I give her a dirty look.

**“ I don’t know what you’re talking about.”** Of course I know what she’s talking about. I can’t stop myself from sneaking a few glances, okay? I’m not forbidden to steal a few glances, right?

**“Could you be anymore obvious?”** She asked. I stared at her, this time my patience was becoming thin. She stares back at me, she pretended to look a little too innocent. She then smiles, the type of smile that’d make anyone annoyed. 

**“Shut the fuck up.”** I tell her without hesitation, and I hear her chuckle. I guess, for her, making me lose my cool is her ultimate life goal. 

After all the preparation, dinner was ready. The seemingly silent spot a while ago became rowdy because of these noisy creatures. Seriously, with all our personalities combined, a person would definitely be easily overwhelmed if he/she hung out with us. This exhaustion would create the need to take a vacation. If we had managers, the managers would definitely have a hard time managing us because we’re not the type that can be managed. I think if we do have a manager, we’d have to pay the poor manager double the amount of the regular paycheck because handling us won’t be a piece of cake.

When I sat down, I just thought of eating. I wanted to eat because I was hungry. However, things didn’t go as peaceful as I expected. The table fit all nine of us perfectly, without thinking though, I sat down in the middle on one side of the table. I admit it, sometimes I’m a dumb dumb. Since I sat in the middle, naturally, I’d have the others sit beside me. 

Just like in true angsty Kim Dahyun fashion, the girl who looked like tofu sat beside me. She just sat beside me without saying a word. I didn’t mind, though. Everyone was just talking and minding their own business, they aren’t even looking my way. 

**“Shit, Momo. Stop dropping your food all the time. Damn.”** Says Nayeon unnie as she takes a mouthful of food. I turned my gaze to Momo unnie and noticed that she unintentionally dropped her food. 

**“At least what I eat does not go directly to my stomach, Nayeon unnie.”** Momo strikes back. 

  
  


_Oh no, everything’s about to go down._

  
  


Nayeon unnie was about to say something back when both Jeongyeon and Mina came outside from inside the rest house. Jeongyeon was carrying a water pitcher while Mina unnie was carrying the glasses, they placed the things on the table and proceeded to take a seat. The seat to my left wasn’t occupied and to my surprise Mina unnie sat beside me. Jeongyeon unnie took the seat to the left of Mina unnie. 

I stared at Nayeon unnie and she became quiet, she just continued to eat while just giving Momo a sulky look. It almost felt like she wanted to give Momo the finger, I just casually hid my smile, thinking how much these crackheads make me happy.

While eating, I wasn’t really talking that much. I mean, the noisy ones really talked and talked about various topics. I, on the other hand, was just listening the entire time. I got so distracted to the point I stopped eating and just put my chopsticks down to listen to the unnies. 

**“Stop being so distracted and just eat your food.”** I hear Dahyun whisper under her breath as she places a piece of meat on top of my unfinished bowl of rice. I stared at her for a while and realized everyone has completely turned their attention to us. 

**“Wow, Kim Dahyun. You’re so cool. I never thought you’re the charismatic type.”** I hear Nayeon unnie tease her. 

**“Don’t you know Charismatic is my middle initial?”** The tofu tries to play it cool. She’s got this expression on her face when she said this. Thank God I broke up with her. Jeez. 

**“Stop making shit up.”** I hear Tzuyu interrupt. **“You’re not even drunk yet. I’m seriously scared with what’s about to happen later.”** This made the whole table go wild. I mean Jeongyeon unnie started ugly laughing her ass off, she had to close her mouth to prevent herself from drooling. While everyone was laughing like ugly ass hyenas, I caught Mina unnie trying to reach for the ketchup which was on my side of the table. I see her trying to reach for it so I just instantly grab the bottle and hand it to her, coolly.

**“You can ask for help, you know.”** I tell her and stare. I wasn’t really sure why I did that but it felt nice. Looking at her felt nice. She smiles at me and then she nods.

**“Everyone seems to be trying to act cool tonight.”** She mumbles under her, she glanced at me for a split second and I swear to God I see her smirk. I chuckle a bit, as of the moment she’s got this playful vibe going on.

**“So you think I’m cool?”** I ask her, trying not to laugh. My attention is now fully caught by her. She looks at me and for a second our eyes meet. It’s funny how a few seconds have an impact on someone. The second our eyes meet, we instantly break the tension by looking down, we ended up chuckling. 

After chuckling for what felt like an eternity, she turned her attention to the ketchup bottle, opened it, and tried to pour some out. However, it seemed to be almost fully consumed. Mina looked disappointed, I was about to help her but Jeongyeon unnie’s hands were already wrapped on the bottle. She then did this jerking motion to the bottle which made the ketchup splatter all over the place. The thing was, the ketchup landed on the wrong spot.

Mina unnie wore a white shirt, unfortunately, because of Jeongyeon unnie’s funny way of pouring the ketchup out, a little amount was splattered on Mina’s shirt. Right across her chest. It seemed like people didn’t really notice it, but I did. I shift my eyes from her stained shirt to her face, her mouth slightly gaped. I then turned my attention to Jeongyeon unnie and I saw her eyes were wider than usual. She was about to say something when Mina just stood up and swiftly walked inside the rest house. Probably to clean her ketchup stained shirt. 

I do not know what came to my mind but the instant she left the table, I also stood up and followed her. I don’t know, it felt like she needed help, my feet felt like they’ve been electrified and that I’ve got so much energy that I just have to follow and help her with whatever she needs. It’s weird but whatever. I was just a few steps behind her, so when I saw her get inside the comfort room. Immediately, without using my head, I also enter the comfort room and is greeted by something I wish I’ve never seen. 

Mina unnie, half naked. Her top off, the girl was only wearing her white laced bra. She was washing her stained shirt on the sink, I just stared at her. I’m pretty sure my mouth dropped, my eyes wider than usual. She stared at me, I’ve never seen her eyes this wide, her jaw clenched and her cheeks flushed. She was still holding her shirt on the sink, water running through it. My eyes, they kept on exploring places they shouldn’t be looking at.

I gulp, my breathing felt like it slowed down, my heart thumping through my ears. I can hear my heartbeat. She was about to open her mouth but I immediately turned my back and closed the door. I walked away slowly, not really sure what just happened. My heart is still beating fast, I just walked like a zombie. I wasn’t sure what just happened. 

**“Where were you?”** I hear Momo unnie ask. They probably didn’t notice what just happened. **“Everyone’s cleaning the dinner table. We assumed you guys are already done eating. Is that okay?”** She asked. I just stared at her, I wasn’t really willing to process whatever she’s saying. I just nod. My heart was starting to calm down now.

**“Go and wash up.”** I hear her say. **“The unnie’s will be preparing for the drinking session here in the living room.”** She adds.

**“Why do I have to wash up?”** I ask her, she just smiles, the type of smile that’d make anyone worried for their life. 

**“Things tend to get messy when we play drinking games.”** She winks at me, she then walks past me, she walked towards where Mina was washing her shirt. Just before Momo entered the comfort room, Mina came out wearing the water soaked white shirt. This made her look so sensual. I quickly walked upstairs, trying my best to ignore her, upstairs is where my assigned shared room is. 

_The fuck? Is she trying to kill me?_

Upstairs, I just take Momo unnie’s advice and wash up. I understand what she meant, so after getting into my comfortable clothes, I take my perfume from my bag and spray some on. Who knows? Something might happen tonight.

Tzuyu was my partner for the room, however, she had freshened up before dinner. After brushing my hair, I went downstairs and was greeted by everyone gathered in the middle of the living room. Drinks were already placed on the table, even chips were there.

**“Perfect, you’re already here.”** I hear Jihyo unnie exclaim, she clapped her hands together. Why is she weirdly enthusiastic all of a sudden? Tzuyu stares at me and motions for me to sit next to her so I obliged. When I sat down, Tzuyu asked me what took me so long because they’ve been drinking for almost an hour already. They thought I wasn’t going to come down. I just made up some excuse. 

_I wasn’t going to tell her that I became so distracted by Mina's stained shirt. And well, of course, seeing her half naked._

Jeongyeon unnie suddenly stood up and clasped her hands. She stared at everyone and she had this satisfied look on her face. **“Now that we’re complete, we can now start the drinking game.”** She smiles. She motions Sana to stand up.

**“We will play the classic truth or dare.”** She informs everyone. **“You all know how this works, right?”** She asked everyone and we all said yes. **“However, Sana here, she’s got your lives for tonight.”** She points at Sana unnie who walked towards the table, grabbed a basin, and started pouring random drinks in. She smiles, fuck this shit. 

**“If you refuse to answer or do the dare, you’re going to drink a full cup of this deadly liquid. Understand?”** Her voice sounded bossy but cute at the same time. We all stared at each other, but as much as possible I avoided eye contact with Mina. She made me too nervous. Sana unnie suddenly locked eyes with me. **“Yah. Son Chaeyoung. Why were you late?”** She asked me directly. I just stare at her, not sure what to say. 

**“Who cares? Make her drink a cup of that as a penalty.”** I hear Mina say. My eyes widen, what the actual fuck? Of all the people in this room, she’s the one I’d least expect to say such a thing. I turned my gaze to her, I felt a tad bit annoyed. 

She looked flushed. Oh, okay. That’s probably the reason why she’s acting a little too brash. I expected Sana unnie to not take Mina’s comment by heart but instead she handed me a cup of the drink she concocted. Everyone waited for me to drink, so I just drank. Who cares anyway? The second the drink hit my mouth, it felt hot. The taste was awful because the mixture was too concentrated. The worst part was the burn I got when the drink hit my throat. Fuck my life. 

**“Okay, Momo. Truth or Dare?”** Jeongyeon quickly started the game right after I finished the drink. Momo thought for awhile and then she picked Truth. Out of nowhere, Jihyo unnie raised her hand. It seemed like she wanted to ask Momo the question.

**“Hey, Momoring. After you’ve dropped a piece of food, what’s the longest time you’ve left it on the ground and then ate it?”** Thomas the train asked bluntly. We have this running joke about Momo unnie always dropping her food. Momo stares at her.

**“A minute.”** She answers in a deadpan manner. Some girls made this grossed-out facial expressions. 

**“Wow. You’re amazing. I’ve always thought dropping your food was your limit. I never thought you even ate them dirty, huh?”** I hear Nayeon unnie inquire and everyone laughs. What the fuck is happening right now? Before everything went south, Jeongyeon unnie pointed at Tzuyu. Tzuyu just nodded her head.

**“Yoda-yah. Truth or dare?”** Asked the girl who sometimes acts like an ostrich. Without hesitation, the demon tree picked dare. Jengyeon out of nowhere grabbed this fishbowl that contained rolled up papers. She said the dares were to be picked randomly. She first shook the fish bowl and then picked up a piece of paper for Tzuyu. She unrolled the paper and then she smirked.

**“Tzuyu-ah. I dare you to show us the last thing you’ve searched on google.”** Jeongyeon unnie’s smirk grew wider. Everyone ‘ooohhhed’, but to our surprise the demon tree turned her phone on and instead of showing us the last thing she searched, she confidently showed us her search engine history. 

**“Puppies? That’s all you search for? Puppies? Everything’s related to puppies!”** Jeongyeon unnie exclaimed. She sounded so disappointed. 

I couldn’t help but snicker, well, Tzuyu definitely flexed on us. She even searched for dog accessories in online shops. I’m telling you, this girl is a dog whisperer. She loves puppies so much that she can’t get enough of them.

After not finding something juicy in the Demon tree’s phone, Sana stood and pointed to Nayeon unnie. Jeongyeon just stared at Sana, not really questioning whatever she’s doing. We all just sat and watched what was about to happen next.

**“Nayeon unnie, Truth or dare?”** The girl who looked like a Shibaa-inu asked Nayeon unnie cutely. Nayeon thought for a while and just picked Dare. She seemed hesitant at first, but we can see she’s smiling so it seemed like things are doing okay. 

Jeongyeon then handed Sana unnie the fishbowl, the shiba-inu then fished a piece of paper out. We all were anticipating, Sana reads the paper. Her eyes widened, she seemed hesitant to read the paper. 

**“What? Say it already, I’m waiting here!”** Nayeon unnie sounded a little sluggish. Sana just stared at her and just nodded her head. 

**“Kiss the person sitting to your left.”** Sana unnie sounded really hesitant. The air became really awkward. Sitting to Nayeon unnie’s left is Momo unnie. We all stare at them. Momo unnie doesn’t seem bothered. Nayeon unnie just stared at Momo blankly. 

**“Ah, who made these dares?”** We hear Jeongyeon unnie ask, she was sitting to the right of Nayeon unnie. Jeongyeon unnie sounded worried. **“Just drink a cup of that—”** Jeongyeon points to the basin full of the ugly tasting concoction of Sana unnie. **“Get things over with.”** Jeongyeon adds. Nayeon looked back at Jeongyeon and then she fixed her gaze on Momo unnie. 

**“It’s okay. You don’t mind, right?”** Asked Nayeon unnie as she stared at Momo. Momo, she just seemed to be really chill. She just gave Nayeon unnie a thumbs up and right after that, Nayeon unnie leaned in, held Momo unnie’s chin on her hand, and then pecked on her cheek. Everyone burst out laughing. The scene just seemed so funny, at first the air was filled with tension but Nayeon unnie ended the dare well. 

  
  


_Sometimes, she’s cool, Nayeon unnie is. But most of the time she’s bothersome._

  
  


**“Who made these dares?”** We hear Dahyun ask. She looks a little bored. 

**“ I did. Why? Do you find them too aggressive?”** Asked Sana unnie. Dahyun just stared at her, Sana unnie raised both her eyebrows as if asking ‘Well, what do you think?’. Dahyun just shrugged. **“Okay then. Kim Dahyun. Stand up.”** We hear Sana unnie’s voice become commanding. I’ve never heard her like that.

**“Oohhh, so commanding. You sounded super sexy just now.”** We hear Nayeon unnie chuckle and all of us ended up laughing too. 

**“Okay, Dahyun. Truth or Dare?”** Jeongyeon unnie interrupts. We all waited for Dahyun to answer. She was sitting right across me and honestly, she seemed to be a little flushed. Probably because of the alcohol. 

Dahyun was silent for awhile. She’s probably thinking of what to pick. After a while , she picked truth. Tzuyu, out of nowhere, stood up and raised her hand. She had a question for Dahyun. Tzuyu also seemed a little flushed too. It’s probably because even when playing, the shots were still coming. 

**“Alright Tzuyu!”** We hear Mina exclaim out of nowhere. We all just stared at her, _is she okay? She seems a little drunk._

**“Go ahead, ask me anything.”** Says the tofu. 

**“Dahyun, unnie. In this room, who do you think would be the worst person to date and why?”** The demon tree asked. Everyone was mumbling. Their voices were low but you can tell they were anticipating with what Dahyun had to say. 

Dahyun thought for a while, looked at each and every one of us. Her eyes then landed on me. It felt like she stared at me a little too long. She just sighs and then, pursed her lips. She looked tired, probably because of the alcohol and all the preparations she’s done for today.

**“Son Chaeyoung.”** Says Kim Dahyun without Hesitation. 


	10. The Outing (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night is only starting. What Mayhem are these girls up to? Find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know I’ve kept you all waiting for the second part, so here it is! Please don’t forget to comment down below! Share this with your friends, cause they might enjoy this too! Anyway, if you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Please enjoy the read!

“Dahyun, unnie. In this room, who do you think would be the worst person to date and why?” The demon tree asked. Everyone was mumbling. Their voices were low but you can tell they were anticipating what Dahyun had to say. 

Dahyun thought for a while, looked at each and every one of us. Her eyes then landed on me. It felt like she stared at me a little too long. She just sighs and then, pursed her lips. She looked tired, probably because of the alcohol and all the preparations she’s done for today.

“Son Chaeyoung.” Says the girl without Hesitation. 

I stare at her. I mean, we all stare at her. What the fuck? Everyone then stared at me, waiting for my reaction. I had none, I just felt inconvenienced. 

“What? That’s such a weird answer!” Momo unnie chuckles. Everyone laughs with her. Probably because no one is taking the questions seriously because we all know this is just a game. Not me. I’m taking offense to this, she just called me the worst girlfriend she ever had ! 

“When I look at her, I don’t even think she’d been in a relationship before!” Exclaims Jeongyeon unnie and almost everyone nods in agreement. Is it legal to feel this insulted? Jesus.

“Why though?” Tzuyu asks Dahyun. She looked curious.

“Why, what?” Asks Dahyun, she pretends to not understand whatever Tzuyu meant.

“Why’d you think she’s the worst person to date in here?” She asked. Everyone seemed to be really interested because the murmuring stopped. Eyes were glued to Dahyun and me. I just stared at Dahyun, internally, I wanted to beat the shit out of her. “Cause you know, there’s got to be a reason!” Adds Tzuyu. 

“I just know.” Dahyun smiles slyly and then everyone ‘ooohhhhed’. What the fuck is she tying to say? Tzuyu was about to ask a follow up question when Jeongyeon told her that Dahyun’s answer was enough. She told Tzuyu that if she really wants to know, she should ask another question in the next round.

Tzuyu looked disappointed , she sat down, turned to me and whispered “Sometimes, I think they know things that we don’t know.” She then makes this pouty looking face. I just smile, the demon is disappointed. 

  
  


_ Girl, if you knew whatever we had, you’d probably flip out.  _

  
  


“You.” Jeongyeon unnie points out to Jihyo unnie. Jihyo unnie pretends to be a little shocked. “Yeah, you. It’s your turn, Thomas.” Jeongyeon unnie makes this comical voice and face. 

“Do something fun!” Sana Exclaims.

“Why? Am I not fun? Do you think I’m boring?” Jihyo turns her gaze to Sana. Sana makes this face, and we all laugh. I mean, I haven’t hung out enough with Jihyo so I can’t tell whether she’s boring or not.

  
  


_ I don’t think she’s boring.  _

  
  


“Well…” We hear Momo trail off. “That’s what she’s exactly saying, Jihyo-ah.” Momo replies in a mocking tone. Jihyo stares at her, it seems like she was ready to throw hands. 

“Fine, I pick dare.” Says Jihyo. She seemed a little insulted but she’ll be fine. A little criticism won’t kill Thomas the train. “And for the record, I hope I get the most risqué dare from that fish bowl.” She grumbles. Everyone laughs. Jihyo unnie’s annoyed alright. 

  
  


_ Risqué, alright.  _

  
  


“Okay then.” Says Jeongyeon unnie with a smirk on her face. She then shook the fishbowl and she picked a piece of paper. She unrolled it and then her eyes widened. “Hey, Minatozaki. Isn’t this too much? Were you extremely feeling sensual when you wrote these dares down?” Complains Jeongyeon unnie. Everyone listened carefully ,shot glasses being filled with Soju. Everyone’s having fun. Sana unnie quickly got up and got behind Jeongyeon unnie to read the dare she wrote down. The Shiba inu chuckles.

“Oh my, I think that may be a little too much.” She laughs as she scratched her head, she sounded cute. 

“I said I’ll take the most risqué dare, right? Give me it.” Thomas the train says this in the most bored tone, she sounded flat. She probably took the comments to heart. Jeongyeon unnie and Sana unnie stared at each other and laughed. 

“Okay then.” Says Jeongyeon unnie. She clears her throat and then she smiles. This must be one hell of a dare then. “Park Jihyo, I dare you to take off your bra. You will drink and interact with us without your bra. You can only put your bra on after we all finish the drinks.” Jeongyeon unnie smiles. 

_ Fuck, are we seriously doing this? Stripping down? I sure hope I don’t have to take off my underwear.  _

Jihyo unnie looked blank. She was just staring into thin air. I stare at her outfit and notice that she’s wearing a loose shirt so going braless isn’t really that bad. 

“ So , are you still going to do it?” Asks Sana unnie mockingly. Jihyo stares at her and not 5 seconds later, she starts to unhook her bra. She was still looking at Sana seriously while unhooking and getting the straps off of her arms. 

  
  


_ Sparks were flying, to be honest. What kind of sparks, you ask? I also don’t know. _

  
  


The whole time this happened we all just stared, holy shit were watching a live show. She grabs her bra under her shirt, yanked it out, and stares at Sana while holding the underwear. Jihyo unnie had this satisfied look on her face. 

_ It’s kind of hot, not gonna lie.  _

“Holy shit. She actually did it.” I hear Tzuyu whisper. I stare at her and nod my head in agreement. Jihyo unnie stood up, walked towards Sana, grabbed Sana’a hand and then placed her bra on Sana’s hand. All our jaws instantly drop. Sana unnie became really red while Jihyo just walked back to her spot and sat down on the couch, she raised both her eyebrows while staring at Sana. It’s like she’s saying ‘Top that’.

  
  


_ Fuck. _

  
  


“How’d you like holding my bra?” Asks Jihyo unnie as she downs a shot of Soju. Sana unnie quickly places the bra on the table and then sits back on her spot.

“You exceeded my expectations. You’re a ten out of ten. Will definitely tease again.” Says Sana. Those phrases may seem odd but because Sana said that, we all burst out laughing. The awkwardness in the air was now gone. Jihyo unnie started smiling too, she even shook her head as if she’s any better than Sana. 

  
  


_ Of course she isn’t. We’re all kids here. _

  
  


“Mitang , it’s your turn.” We hear Nayeon unnie speak. Mina just stared and then smiled, she seems like she’s doing okay. 

“Alright, Mina. Truth or Dare?” Asks Jeongyeon unnie. Mina stares at her blankly at first. As I stared at her, I realized she has changed clothes. Mina unnie then chose truth. We all look at her and wait for someone to think of a question. Suddenly, Nayeon unnie stood up and then raised her hand. 

“Minari, If you were a guy, who would you date amongst us and why?” Asks Nayeon.

Everyone nodded their head in satisfaction. Mina unnie had this look on her face. It seemed like she was thinking. Unlike Dahyun, she wasn’t looking at us one by one. She just looked really into whatever she was thinking. Right before she looked at Nayeon unnie, I saw her discreetly bit her lower lip. 

“I can’t possibly answer that unnie! I’d probably just date everyone of you. You are all so gorgeous. Who wouldn’t want that, right?” She answers, an anxious smile painted on her face. But she’s still beautiful nonetheless.

“Ehhhh! Stop lying Minari, I know you’d pick me out of everyone. Right?” Adds Jihyo. Mina laughs, she’s starting to act looser now.

“Yah. Park Jihyo, dream on. She’d date me for sure!” Argues Nayeon unnie. 

“Nah. She’d choose me over anyone here!” Chimes in Momo. “Right, Minari?” She stands up and then walks over to Mina just to hug her. Mina starts laughing, her cheeks flushed and her movements visibly light. 

“Dream on unnie, she won’t date someone who constantly drops her food!” Tzuyu argues, Momo gives her this nasty look. I just smiled all throughout whatever was happening. 

“I’m not satisfied with your answer.” Says Jeongyeon directly. I look over to her and she looks unamused. Mina unnie’s smile withers. “Look, I’ll be kind to you so I’ll let Sana pick out a dare for you, okay?” Adds Jeongyeon. Mina just nods. Sana immediately fishes a dare from the bowl and silently reads it. She looks up at us.

“I dare you to keep your hand on the very inner thigh of the person to your left for thirty seconds.” Reads Sana.

“EH?” Was all Mina could say. Her jaw dropped for the first time today, she looked really uneasy. To her left was Jeongyeon. To her right was Dahyun. She stares at Sana unnie for a second and then to Jeongyeon. It seemed like Joengyeon was also uncomfortable, she kept avoiding Mina’s gaze. 

  
  


_ I, on the other hand, felt a dark cloud forming over my head.  _

  
  


“Sana, give me a cup of your drink.” Says Mina clearly. She has this determined look on her face, as if she really wasn’t going to do the dare. I just stared at her, intently. That was all I could do. Stare at her. Mina then looked around to ease the tension and our eyes met. I stared at her, I wasn’t expecting Mina to avoid the dare. I mean, whatever, she can do whatever she wishes. She’s an adult. 

Sana obliged and gave Mina a cup of her deadly mixture of drinks. Right before Mina downed the big ass drink, I swear I see her glance at me for a second. I’m not sure, I probably just saw things because of all the alcohol I’ve had. I don’t know. As she downed the cup, everyone cheered for her. I didn’t, I just stared. When she finished the shot, I saw her wince a little. 

“Oh, Minari, are you okay?” Asks Momo right after Mina lightly places the cup on the table. Mina nods, she looks disgusted with what she drank. I was disgusted when I had to drink some of that shit. I ain’t drinking any of that again. 

“You’re up Chaengie.” I hear Nayeon unnie. I turn my gaze to her and see her standing up. I stand up and smile because it’s finally my turn. “You’re a bit red. Feeling a little drunk?” Teases Nayeon unnie and everyone breaks in a fit of laughter. I just smile and shake my head.

  
  


_ Seriously, I don’t feel drunk. _

  
  


“To our dearest cub, truth or dare?” Jeongyeon unnie asked while she remained seated. “Im Nayeon, sit down. You’ll make yourself drunk.” She grabs Nayeon unnie’s shirt hem and then pulls her down, making the oldest unnie land on the sofa. Nayeon unnie gave her a nasty look, Jeongyeon clearly doesn’t give a fuck. 

“ For me, I’d take dare.” I bluntly replied. Everyone ‘ohhhhhed’ again, clapping their hands like seals. I just smile, they all look funny. Sana unnie stood up and then she glanced at me.

“Hey, I made dares which really would push everyone’s boundaries.” Says Sana unnie, her tone seemed firm.

“I know.” I answer her directly, I try to make my voice sound like I don’t give a fuck. Deep inside though, I feel a little scared. 

  
  


_ Just a little, of course. _

  
  


“These dares involve all sorts of physical contact. Do you understand that?” She asks again, she stares at me, her eyes seemed focused on me. She’s waiting for my answer. Everyone was silent. 

“I know. I’m not a child.” I replied sternly. I don’t know but everyone seemed entertained with how I’m responding. Seems like they love seeing me become ballsy. 

  
  


_ Son Chaeyoung with balls. Nice.  _

  
  


Sana unnie nods her head and proceeds to fish a dare from the bowl. “You’ve been warned, cub.” She smirked. As she’s doing her thing, I feel Tzuyu tug at my shirt. I looked back and stared at her, she looked worried.

“You’re aware that Shit can go down, right?” She sounded concerned. 

“I can handle myself.” I winked at her, not really sure why I did but okay. Who cares, right? Suddenly, I hear Sana unnie clears her throat. I look over to her. 

“Son Chaeyoung, Listen carefully because this is very specific. Okay?” She tells me and I just nod. She clears her throat again and then proceeds to read the dare. “You have to leave the room. Everyone pours their own shot. They place their glass on the table. You then come back into the living room and take one of the shots that was poured.” She stops and then she looks at me, a smile starting to form on her mouth.

“That’s it?” I ask her. She shakes her head. I gulp. 

“Whoever poured the drink, you have to sit on their lap until we finish the round.” She smiled and then everyone’s face changed. They all laughed and I was just left there, dumbfounded. “What are you waiting for? Go outside and let us pour our shot.” She says this in such a mocking tone that for the first time, I gave Sana unnie a nasty look. 

There is nothing to lose , right? Who cares. This is just a game. I turn my back and march myself outside. Good thing I was wearing a jacket because damn, it’s really cold outside. I made sure to warm my hands inside my pockets as I waited for someone to call me inside. Not more than a minute later, I hear a knock on the glass window. It was Jihyo unnie, she's motioning for me to come inside. I just nod and obliged. As I walk inside, I see all of them standing on the sides. Everyone was smiling, they had this mischievous look on their faces.

“What?” I ask them as I try to hide the fact that I am enjoying this. I realized how cold it was outside when I got in. 

“Pick your shot.” Smiles Nayeon unnie. I just nod and walk over to the table where they placed all 8 glasses filled with alcohol. I look at each glass first before reaching for one. Without looking anyone in the eye, I drank the shot. Everyone applauded. I just smile and place the glass on the table. 

Everyone began to settle down. I then sat down where I sat originally seated. Just as Jeongyeon unnie was about to pick the next player, Sana unnie stands up, she’s trying to suppress her smile. “Alright, whose shot glass did Chaeng drink from? Raise your hand. You need your lap warmed by none other than Son Chaeyoung. ” 

  
  


_ That’s when I realized the severity of this game.  _

  
  


For ten seconds the living room was silent. It felt like no one wanted me to sit on their lap, though normally, I’d find this humorous when I’m sober. But since I’m a little tipsy now, I find this offensive. Why? Does that person think that my ass is not worthy of her lap? My ass is top-tier, even Beyoncé would want me to sit on her lap. Jeez.

  
  


“Mine.” We hear someone speak in a faint voice. Her left hand raised when she claimed responsibility for the glass. I looked over to her and my mind just went completely blank. She looked tipsy, that's probably why she didn’t say anything at first. “Chaengie, you’re supposed to sit on my lap.” She smiled at me, she looked hella drunk. Hella drunk but beautiful. Her rosy cheeks and the fact that she’s got this smile on her face makes her the cutest human being in this room. 

  
  


_ I am not exaggerating. _

  
  


“What are you waiting for? Go and sit on her lap.” I hear Tzuyu chuckle. I stand up and walk towards her, she pats her lap and I just stare at her. I wasn’t sure what to do. 

“Jesus, just sit already. You’re both girls.” Says Nayeon unnie with a smirk on her face. 

I just closed my eyes and sat on her lap. Everyone applauded the second my butt landed on her lap, I just looked down to hide the fact that I can’t get my cheeks to stop blushing. I feel so hot around my face and I couldn’t contain my smile too. 

“Yah! Look at Minari! She’s smiling!” I hear the almost drunk Momo unnie say, she’s got this funny tone in her voice.

“Oh my, she likes it! Minari likes it!” Teases Sana unnie and everyone except the both of us, start laughing. I look back and get a glimpse of Mina smiling a little, but the smile faded once she noticed I was peeking. 

I have to admit, sitting on her lap wasn’t comfortable. I just felt so tense. I even avoided trying to breathe because I was afraid she might notice and talk to me. I don’t know, I’m probably just paranoid. 

After a few teases and laughter, everyone started to mind their own business, their eyes weren’t glued on us anymore and shots were starting to round out circle again. Mina, even though I’m on her lap, seems to not mind. She even drank three straight shots. I, however, became really quiet. 

“Unnie…” I trail off as I look back at her. She looks at me, her gaze soft. “Don’t drink so much. You don’t want to end up drunk.” I tell her softly. She just smiled and then she nodded. After this, I felt her arms wrap around my waist. She’s pulling me closer to her. My eyes widen and my face starts to feel hot again. 

  
  


_ Clean thoughts only, Son Chaeyoung. Clean thoughts only, you little fuck.  _

  
  


“I wish you’d just sit comfortably.” She whispers, her left arm wrapped around my waist while her right hand receives the shots. I just nodded, trying to keep my cool. But all I know is that my heart is beating the fastest rate it has even beaten before. I might end up having a heart attack here but it would be totally worth it. 

  
  


_ Clean thoughts only, Son Chaeyoung. Clean thoughts only, you little fuck.  _

  
  


“Yoo Jeongyeon, stand up. You’re up.” Says Jihyo firmly, she looked red but it’s probably just a drunk blush. She doesn't seem drunk, Thomas seems like she can handle her alcohol. “Truth or Dare? Take you pick ostrich.”Says Jihyo unnie in a tough tone.

Jeongyeon unnie stands up and then she chooses Truth. Suddenly Momo unnie stands up and raises her hand. She’s got a question. Everyone’s eyes are glued to her. 

“Jeongyeon-ah, if you were a guy, out of everyone here, who would you most want to sleep with?” Momo unnie asks without missing a beat. Everyone’s eyes widen and I hear Mina unnie snicker. Why is she snickering? 

“Yah. Isn’t that question too much?” Asks Jeongyeon unnie.

“It’s a hypothetical question, Pabo. It’s not too much!” Momo fires back. Everyone applauds at what Momo says. I just clap along. I see Jeongyeon unnie make this face and then she just shakes her head.

“Give me some of Sana’s drink.” We hear defeat in her tone. She refuses to answer the question. I mean, I’d refuse to answer that question too, Jeez. 

Sana unnie hurriedly pours some drink for Jeongyeon unnie and then Jeongyeon unnie snatches the cup instantly. Without thinking twice, she downs the drink. I swear, the room went silent. 

When she finished the drink, she didn’t wince even one bit. The weird thing I noticed though, after she put her cup down, she directly stared at Nayeon unnie. They both had this lingering stare. The stare, it looked like it meant something. As a woman who identifies as someone who swings both ways, I can tell whatever just happened meant something more. I don’t know why no one started teasing them. I don’t know, it’s probably because the others are either too tired or just tipsy to even notice. 

“Sana. Stand up. It’s your turn.” Says Jeongyeon unnie, her voice seemed flat. Sana Stands up and then Jeongyeon unnie asks her to choose between Truth or Dare. Sana unnie, being the adventurous girl that she is, she picks dare. Everyone, drunkenly applauded. Nayeon unnie then reached for the fish bowl and then fished out a piece of paper. 

“Sana.” Nayeon unnie calls Sana unnie’s attention. “I dare you to pick someone.” Says Nayeon unnie. Sana unnie looked confused. 

“Look, I was the one to make all the dares. I don’t remember writing that one.” Complains the girl who looked like a Shiba-inu. A smirk forms on Nayeon unnie’s lips. 

“Stop complaining and just do what I say.” Says Nayeon unnie sharply. Sana pouts and then she looks around, searching for someone to pick. Her eyes stop when she sees Kim Dahyun. 

“Alright, I pick Kim Dahyun.” Says Sana eagerly. She’s even smiling. Nayeon unnie’s smirk grew bigger. The bunny nods in satisfaction.

“You have to Skinny-dip with her in the hot-tub. It’s on the top floor, Sana-yah.” Nayeon unnie clicked her tongue. Everyone’s got this look on their face. Even Kim Dahyun, that lesbian, looked mortified. Everyone started cheering for them, and as the room grew louder I felt Mina unnie tap me. I looked back, I was still sitting on her. She looked horrible. 

I instantly stood up, I was right. She also needed to stand up, she looked border-line drunk. I’ve seen that face at Teal bar before. I know that look. She started groggily walking away from the circle, nobody’s noticed though so I decided to slowly walk behind her. I made sure I followed her, who knows? The girl might trip. As she walked towards the stairs, she looked back and then she locked eyes with me. I froze, she just stared. Her gaze pierced through me. 

“Are you following me?” She asks in a slurred voice. 

“No. Why would I do that?” I lie. 

“Whatever.” She walks towards me and then she grabs my hand.

  
  


_ Clean thoughts only, Son Chaeyoung. Clean thoughts only, you little fuck.  _

  
  


She entwined her fingers to mine. I just stared at her, I am sober. Whatever’s happening right now is too much for Sober Son Chaeyoung to handle. “Come with me. I need company.” She pulls me close and then she starts walking upstairs. 

Even though she’s drunk, her grip was strong. I just walk with her, wherever she wants to go. As we continue to roam the second floor, I notice that she’s heading to her bedroom. She’s probably going to sleep. When she reached the door, she flung the whole thing open like the door was nothing. Inside, there were two beds and then the penguin let go of my hand. She then just dropped herself on the bed. 

  
  


I just stare at her.

  
  


“Yah. Pabo. You can’t do that. You have to wash up and remove your makeup.” I nag her. She just groans.

“No. I don’t want to!” She refused like a five year old child. I just stare at her, she’s facing the ceiling, her eyes closed. 

“Jeez. At least brush your teeth, will you?” I ask her. Unexpectedly, the penguin suddenly sat straight up. Like, she really did this so suddenly that I start to question whether she’s alright in the head. She stares at me, she stands up, and walks towards the comfort room. I hear the water running. I walk and peek through the opened door, she’s brushing her teeth. She notices that I was looking at her. She stops and turns off the faucet.

“Happy now, honey?” She sounded so sarcastic that I couldn’t help but just snort. I nod my head and then she continues to brush her teeth.

“While you’re at it, wash your face. Okay?” I jokingly tell her and I see her make a face. After telling her what to do, I walked to her bed and started to arrange the comforter, pillows, and bedsheet where they’re supposed to. After that, I walk towards the comfort room and see her cleansing her face. I go inside and open the cabinet to grab some spare toothbrush meant for the visitors and then brush my teeth. 

“Feeling a lot better?” I ask her, my voice sounded a little muffled. She just nods and then she finishes up. She walks back to her bed with her eyes half-closed. I just let her be while I brush my teeth. After brushing, I walk to where Mina is and is welcomed by Mina unnie sleeping on her bed. She looked peaceful. 

“Mina unnie, I’ll go ahead now. Good night.” I softly told her, but her eyes slowly opened and she gave me this look. The lights were dim but I can see that her cheeks are red.

“Sleep with me.” The penguin nonchalantly tells me. I almost choke with what she says. I just stare at her in disbelief.

“I-I beg your pardon?” I ask her, trying to sound a lot less shaken than I’m supposed to be. She’s still staring at me, she looks unfazed. It’s probably because of the alcohol.

“I hate sleeping alone. Accompany me until I fall asleep.” Says Mina sluggishly. I can’t believe she’s asking me this the second time around.

But of course, who am I to say no. Right?

I nod, slowly walk to her bed, and lay beside her. I was facing her. She closed her eyes, I could hear her breathe. Her small cute snores make me smile. 

“This is the last time I’m going to let you order me around.” I tell her and I see her smile. She nods her head even though her eyes are closed. “You should know your limits next time, okay?” I whisper. She slowly opened her eyes, we’re staring at each other. Is she really drunk? 

“Why? Will you be there?” Her voice faint.

The way she said it made me think that maybe she’s just pretending to be drunk. She pouts, still, our gazes locked. She’s got this got demeanor I’ve never seen before, as if waiting for me to answer her question.

“Where?” I play along. She smiles, a weirdly soft smile. I smile too. 

“The next time I drink, will you be there?” She asked me. She’s staring at me the whole time. All this staring is making me a little uncomfortable. I just nod, and she nods back. The room was silent, I could clearly hear even the faintest sounds. The light was dim, just enough for me to see her facial expression. I don’t know, my eyes, they’re glued to her.

“Chaengie…” She trails off. I mouth ‘yes?’ to her. “I can’t sleep.” She pouts. I just chuckle and remember how she liked holding onto something when she’s drunk. I just nod and slowly take her hands. I hold onto them, entwining our fingers together. After this, she closed her eyes. 

I don’t know how I got myself into whatever this is. Seeing her half naked, Sitting on her lap, laying next to her, and holding her hands. I would not have expected for these things to happen to me when I moved into our dormitory. I just moved to Seoul to attend the University. But I guess, life indeed is funny. 

She looked like an angel while she slept. She looks almost unreal, ethereal even. I know, this isn't alcohol. I’m acting based on my sober emotions. 

As she breathed softly, I slowly rubbed my thumbs on her hands, hoping that this would help her sleep. 

“Mina unnie…” I whisper. Making sure my voice was at its lowest. She was still holding onto me, I fixed my gaze on her lips. I gulp. My heart starts to race. Images and thoughts start to flood my head. I try to shake everything out of my mind. This is not right.

  
  


_ I shouldn’t be thinking like this! _

  
  


As a closeted bisexual, I try my best to avoid and have feelings for people immediately. Especially beautiful girls. I know this sounds so shallow but I’m just saying! The reason for this is that these girls might actually be straight. I don’t want to cause that type of harm to myself. However, amidst this, I cannot guarantee myself to not fall for straight girls. It happens sometimes.

“Mina unnie…” I called out to her again, this time I increased the volume off my voice a little. I want to know whether she’s asleep. 

  
  


_ I got no response. _

  
  


“Are you awake?” I ask her, our fingers still entwined. I see her bite her lower lip. I just stare at her in awe. I couldn’t believe this is actually happening right now. My heart rate, it’s slowly rising. I feel my cheeks slowly become hotter by the minute. I feel this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, butterflies? 

“Mina unnie…” I trail off, making sure my voice was at its lowest. “Myoui Mina, Listen carefully.” I whisper. I wait for her to react, but I was sure she was asleep. I just stare and smile at her. 

“I think I have feelings for you.” I whisper as I remove one of my hands from her grasp just to cup her cheek. I just feel like, I won’t be able to do this ever again. I smile, feeling a rush of emotions wash over me. 

Just as I was about to let go of her hands, she opened her eyes. My eyes widen, and I just freeze. It felt like I stopped breathing for a second. Her gaze, it pricked me. I was ready for her to shout for help or whatever. I was ready for her to kick me and beat my ass. But instead, she just stared.

Just as I was about to speak, she let go of my hand. She just looked at me, her hands then slowly slid to my nape. I felt the warmth of her touch on my neck and I just breathed slowly, not sure with what’s happening. She leaned in and pulled me close, still looking me in the eye. 

That’s when my hands instinctively moved on their own. They found their place on her hips, pulling her close to me too, not wanting to let go. I close my eyes and that’s when I feel our lips touch. I am lost in the bubble of time and space, I felt her soft lips press against mine, her warm body pressing against me. My hands as if having a mind of their own, caressed her thighs, softly, slowly sliding to places they shouldn’t touch. That’s when I realized shorts really are easy to invade if the will to do so present. I feel my body start to want more than just a kiss. 

_ I want her, her body, her whole being. I want Myoui Mina.  _

But this isn’t how this is supposed to go. I abruptly stopped. I sat straight up. “I’m sorry…” I trail off. I tried to gain my composure first. I still feel everything, her lips, her touch, her body, her scent. Everything about her. I then look at her and notice that she’s looking away as if she doesn’t want to talk. I can hear her breathe, and I just sat there. I don’t know what to say, a cloud of dread started to form above me. 

“Mina, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” I tell her softly, hoping that she’d at least look at me. I wanted to reach for her shoulder, but I couldn't. I shouldn’t.

“Is that all you can say? You’re sorry?” She replies, disappointment is in the air. I can feel it. 

“Mina…” I don’t know what to say. 

“Leave me alone.” Her voice faint but I know she meant what she said. 

“But.” I was about to grab her but she flinched.

“Please leave.” She pulls the covers up and turns her back to me. 

The dark cloud above me has successfully taken over my entire being. What can I do? I just stood up and quickly got out of her room. Without skipping a beat, I walked inside to my shared room with Tzuyu, jumped on my bed and just did my best to fall asleep. I felt frustrated. I felt horrible. Fuck this. 

  
  


The next day I was awoken by Jeongyeon unnie literally banging pots and pans to wake everyone up. Literally. I sit straight up, my hair all over the place, my dried saliva on the corner of my mouth, and my mood at its lowest. I stared at her blankly as she roamed around the corridor. I hear Tzuyu curse something under her breath. I couldn’t understand her. She probably cursed in Mandarin or something. Nonetheless, I stand up, wash my face and brush my teeth. 

As I walk downstairs, I hear a commotion. Still irritated by the fact that I was awoken by pots and pans banging , I just kept quiet while walking towards the dining room. As I get closer, I see a shit ton of dishes on the table and the unnies huddled around together. Being the person that I am, I just walk to the table and take my seat. 

“Oh? Good morning. Sleep well?” Asks Jihyo unnie, I just look at her and nod. 

“Unnie, what time did you guys finish drinking last night?” Tzuyu asks. 

As they continue their conversation, I just sit still and look around. Though everything on the table seems complete, no one has started digging in yet. I grab my phone and start to scroll through my feed. 

“Everyone, breakfast’s ready. Let’s dig in!” Shouts Jeongyeon unnie. I look over to see her carrying some side dishes in a tray. Behind her was Mina, smiling. Were they cooking together or something? I quickly look away and just start eating my breakfast. 

“Anyway, where were you guys last night?” Asks Nayeon unnie. I look up, because I know who she was referring to. “Mina and Chaeyoung, where were you guys last night?” Nayeon unnie rephrased her question. I look over to Mina who’s conversation with Jeongyeon suddenly halted. Mina stares at Nayeon unnie like she doesn’t understand what the bunny was talking about.

“Ah, really. You guys missed so much last night.” Adds Momo and she eats a spoonful of rice. I just pretend to nod at her enthusiastically. “Lots of things happened after you guys went upstairs.” Says Momo. I almost choked on what I was eating when she said this.

“You guys went up together?” Asks Jeongyeon to Mina. Mina had this blank look on her face, she looked almost bored. She takes a spoonful of her food and she eats it before answering. 

“Did we go upstairs together?” Mina turned her gaze to me when she asked this. I just stare back at her, I felt this intense hollow feeling inside me when she asked me that stupid question.

“ I don’t know. Did we?” I reply, almost nonchalantly as I shove another spoonful of food in my mouth. Some seemed uninterested with our conversation, I see Tzuyu, Sana, and Jihyo just talking about another completely different topic. 

“I’m not so sure. I was so drunk last night.” She chuckles and then others laughed along. I just sit there quietly eating my food, just minding my own business. 

“Me too, I can’t remember anything from last night.” I replied flatly, not looking anyone in the eye. I shove another spoonful of food into my mouth as I feel this annoyance take over me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys enjoy this chapter? I’ve always wanted to skip to this part. Actually, I had fun writing this chapter. Sorry it might be a little spotty since a lot has been happening in the University right now. So, yeah. I’ve also decided to not have the dialogue in bold cause I think it would be more exciting this way? Anyway, what do you think? Please don’t forget to comment down below! If you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Have a good day!


	11. A sudden turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls are traveling back to Seoul after spending 2 days at the country side. But they’ll never be ready for what awaits them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know this has been the longest I’ve made you guys wait, I’m sorry. Don’t forget to comment down below! Share this with your friends, cause they might enjoy this too! Anyway, if you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Please enjoy the read!

“I’m not so sure. I was so drunk last night.” She chuckles and then others laughed along. I just sit there quietly eating, just minding my own business. 

“Me too, I can’t remember anything from last night.” I replied flatly, not looking anyone in the eye. I shove another spoonful of food into my mouth as I feel this annoyance take over me. 

After breakfast, I helped clean whatever was needed to be cleaned up since I woke up pretty late. The unnies were the ones to prepare breakfast. So Dahyun, Tzuyu, and I were the ones to clear the table and wash the dishes. The older ones hung out in the yard. I wasn’t sure what they were doing though.

“So upstairs, huh?” I hear Kim Dahyun jokingly ask me. It sounded as if she was mocking me. She’s such a brat. 

“So upstairs, huh?” I repeated her words but I made sure I sounded ugly. I am currently washing the dishes, Tzuyu’s nowhere to be found so I’m pretty sure Dahyun is about to be nosy.

“I don’t sound like that though.” She defends herself, as if she’d sound any better than me. 

“What do you want?” I ask her as, still washing the dishes we used for breakfast. 

I know Dahyun, she’s not the type to let things go easily. So, the moment I heard her mocking voice, I knew she wanted to know things. 

_ Too bad, I can’t remember whatever happened last night.  _

“Well, I was just a little curious.” She replied, it sounded as if Kim Dahyun was careful with her words. She didn’t want to annoy me. 

“Curious? The correct term is Nosy. Kim Dahyun, you’re nosy.” I reply, not really looking at her since I am busy cleaning up dishes. I placed the last plate to be rinsed on the drying rack and grab the kitchen towel, not wanting to look at Kim Dahyun. 

“You guys didn’t do anything upstairs, right?” She asked. 

“What the hell, Kim Dahyun?” I turned to her, almost immediately. Not only was her question personal but the question is just so off-beat in general. 

“It's just a question.” She tries to defend herself. I just stared at her. 

“Nothing.” I answered her immediately. “Nothing happened upstairs.” I lie, but of course Kim Dahyun doesn’t know this. I looked at her, not breaking the eye-contact between us. She just stared too, she had this look in her eyes that suggested that she’s trying to figure me out. 

“Are you sure?” She asked again.

To be honest, I do not understand why Kim Dahyun is asking me these questions. So much has happened since last night and I can’t deal with any more added stress. Kim Dahyun, she’s really pushing me off the edge right now. 

“Let’s say something did happen, what makes you think I’d tell you anything?” I ask her, not wanting to be mean at all. 

“So…” She trails off, she seemed really confused. She had this look on her face that also suggested that she’s uncomfortable. “What are you trying to say, exactly?” She smiles, trying to ease the tension between us. 

“What I’m trying to say is, mind your own business.” I rolled my eyes at her and turned away, I grabbed the kitchen towel and started drying the plates. 

“I just don’t want you to hurt yourself.” She replies. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t bothered at all, it would not be fair if I said I wasn’t taken aback with whatever Kim Dahyun said. 

“Hurt myself?” I chuckle as I dry the plates. “I’m sure accompanying someone upstairs won’t lead to pain.” 

“Are you sure?” She asked again.

“Yes. Besides, I can’t remember anything from last night. Talking about this is really pointless.” I tell her.

After cleaning up, I went straight up to my room. I decided to take a bath. I took a warm bath, I just needed to be calmed a little bit. I needed to take an early bath since most probably after lunch, we’ll be driving home. I just wanted to get that out of the way. After doing all of my hocus pocus, I dress up, put some makeup on and stare at myself in the mirror. 

“Stupid.” I mutter as I stare at my reflection. I feel weird, ashamed even. 

“Why do you always have to mess up, Son Chaeyoung?” I ask my reflection. I pout, not sure about how to ease my frustration. 

Do you know that sinking feeling in your stomach when you feel disappointed? It’s what I’m currently feeling right now. I just feel this intense hollow feeling inside me, I don’t know. I sigh and just stare at myself some more. I look pissed. I don’t want to look pissed, I don’t want the unnies asking what’s the matter. So I put my best smile on and head outside where everyone is gathered. 

_ Stop fucking things up, Son Chaeyoung. _

Outside, almost everyone was playing Touch ball. I decided not to join since I came late. Also, I wasn’t in high spirits so I just walked over to the nearest tree shade and sat down. 

I looked around and noticed how everyone seemed to really have fun playing. I, on the other hand, just watch under the tree shade. I wanted to mind my own business. As the play continued, my mind started to roam.

_ Bad thoughts, illegal thoughts, name them and I have them.  _

I ease my sitting position and look up at the sky.

_ How the heck did I mess things up again? _

So everyone drank and became rowdy, I got dared to sit on Mina’s lap. 

_ Whatever, it's not a big deal.  _

Mina, as she claimed, was so drunk that’s why she wanted me to accompany her upstairs. 

_ Understandable.  _

Since I wasn’t hammered last night, I remember everything. I told her to go brush her teeth. After that, I remember her specifically asking me to stay beside her until she fell asleep, I even held her hands. I thought she drifted off, so I told her how I felt. I told her I liked her. 

_ Everything would’ve been good if it ended there, but no.  _

She had to wake up, pull me close, and make out with me. We made out and then she has the audacity to tell everyone she doesn’t remember a thing about last night? We ate each other’s faces! How the hell can someone forget about kissing someone? Is this a joke? I’ve been drunk before and I call bullshit on her excuse. 

_ I honestly think Mina’s just messing with me.  _

While sitting, I cross my arms and just watch everyone play. I notice that the number of players has reduced. Probably, the others are getting ready to travel back home. For some reason, I turn my gaze to my left and see Mina walking towards my direction. I don’t see anyone beside me though, what the hell does she want now? 

“Hey.” She greets me, she then sits beside me. I just stare at her, she’s smiling. She looked bright and happy. 

_ What are you smiling at? _

“Hey.” I reply, slightly making my voice seem cheerful. I smile at her, as a respect since she approached me nicely. She eased her sitting position and placed her hand on my shoulder. She tapped me, lightly. 

“Dahyun told me everything about last night.” She stared at me, like usual, her gaze pierced through me. Her hand slides off of my shoulder, I just stare at her as if I’ve got no idea what she’s talking about. 

“Yeah?” I ask her, trying to play it cool. She’s staring at me. 

“Yeah.” She replies quietly, for a moment I swear I see her smirk. 

“What did she tell you exactly?” I ask her, and then she smiles, not the type of smile that looks forced. When she smiled, her gums show and her cheeks just … I don’t even know what to say. She looks perfect. Her eyes even smiled too. 

I don’t even know whether I’m still mad at her or not. All I know is, like the freak that I am, I couldn’t stop staring at her. She’s got me wrapped around her fingers. 

_ I, Son Chaeyoung, is under a spell. _

“She told me that you accompanied me to my room last night.” Says Mina. She gave me this look, her gaze looked soft, and I couldn’t do anything, it felt like I was being melted by her gaze.

“Yeah? What else?” I ask her, trying to prolong our exchange. She gave me this look, I see her pause for a while. As if she’s trying to be careful with what to tell me.

“I do not remember much last night…” 

_ Bullshit, she’s trying to pull the ‘I forgot’ card on me again. _

“But I appreciate that you accompanied me.” She calmly adds. 

“No problem.” I force a smile out, not looking at her directly. I was afraid, afraid that by looking at her, I’d become softer. I just stare down at the grass, where I am seated.

“You’ve done so much for me lately.” She says quietly. I just stared down at the grass, I was exhausted with this exchange. It wasn’t going anywhere. 

“You’re a friend, of course I’d do anything for you.” I muttered half heartedly. 

“Hey, I’d do anything for you too.” She says this assuringly, she sounded sincere. I look up and catch her staring at me. 

_ How long has she been staring at me? _

I just look at her, without blinking. I was waiting for her to finish her sentence, while we were maintaining this eye contact which seemed to have lasted forever. 

_ It doesn’t matter. _

“That’s what friends do, right?” She mumbled, a smile formed on her mouth. 

I just nod and smile as I feel this sinking feeling creep up my heart.

“Yeah, that’s what we do.” I tell her bitterly. 

After the game ended, the others started doing their own thing. Some took baths, some were chatting, and some were outside. Basically, everyone just relaxed. They all were up late drinking during an unholy hour, doing weird and provocative games. I’m not saying I hated it, I’m just saying what really went down last night. 

A little after lunch time, we all gathered our things and headed back to Seoul. This time, for some reason, I was seated together with my dorm mates. Nayeon unnie drove and I chose to sit beside her. The others, Mina, Tzuyu, and Sana unnie sat at the back. 

Probably because of all the activities that we did last night, everyone was quiet. Tzuyu just slept, Sana unnie listened to music, and Mina just played on her Nintendo switch. I, on the other hand, fell asleep about thirty minutes in during the drive. It felt like the drive home was longer than the drive on the way to the rest house yesterday. When I woke up, it was already dark outside. I checked my phone to see what time it was and figured out it was already six thirty in the evening. 

Just as we pulled up on the driveway, I saw a familiar figure standing beside our gate. I completely forgot about this person during my time with my friends. Nayeon unnie parked the car and we all got out. The moment I got out, Min Woo approached me.

“Son Chaeyoung.” He smiles and then he hands me a bouquet. I just stare at him in disbelief. What the fuck is he doing here? Of all the places he decides to meet me, he picked my dorm? Fucking asshole. “I haven’t seen you in a while, where have you been?” 

_ Oh my god, the audacity.  _

I stare at him, not sure what kind of thought process this guy has. Is he really that slow or is he playing dumb? I don’t know, but the more I look at him, the more I want to punch him in the face. 

“I waited in front of your gate for hours.” He points at our gate. 

“Oh? Jung Min Woo. What are you doing here?” Asks Tzuyu, she approached us. Followed by Mina, Nayeon, and Sana. For fuck’s sake, that’s the last thing I want right now. 

“Just came by to see Chaeyoung.” He smiles at Tzuyu. I was just staring at them the whole time.

“Oh? Who’s the guy?” Asks Sana unnie as she looked at Min Woo from the head down. Min Woo bows and introduces himself as my friend. Sana unnie nodded but didn’t shake his hand. “Oh, that’s cool. Shaking hands isn’t my thing.” Sana unnie replies. 

_ Liar. _

“Chaeyoung never told us anything about you.” Says Sana unnie frankly. Sana unnie looked bored, she just stared at Min Woo, trying to comprehend where the guy came from. 

“Oh, she’s probably just busy.” Smiles Min Woo at Sana unnie. Sana just nods at him, keeping a distance between them. I can feel the dislike of Sana unnie towards him. 

“Do you live around here?” Sana unnie prods further. Min Woo had this look on his face that suggested he is taken aback. 

“I don’t.” Min Woo smiled. 

“Cool, I kind of picked up on that.” Sana unnie gave him this prolonged stare, which also shook me a little because Sana isn’t the type who would ask so many questions. She’s usually the chillest one amongst us, but for some reason, she’s all curious and assertive tonight. 

“Nayeon unnie and I are going to head in first.” Says Mina as she bowed to Min Woo, Nayeon unnie walked alongside Mina as they got inside the house. It was weird how Nayeon unnie didn’t greet Min Woo, when I know for a fact she hasn’t met him yet. 

“Tzuyu and I are going to head in as well.” Sana unnie puts her arms around on Tzuyu and then they walk away. I waited for them to get inside the dorm and made sure they were out of earshot before opening my mouth. 

“Hey…” I trail off, looking at Min Woo from head to toe. 

“Yeah?” He asks, it seems like he doesn’t understand the severity of what he’s done tonight. I need him to at least understand what he’s doing is not good. 

“What are you doing here?” I ask him, I try to sound as calm as possible. 

“I was visiting you, of course.” He answers, but his voice seems to sound really bored. As if he’s just reciting. 

“But I don’t want you to visit me.” I tell him straight up. It is very out of my character to say rude things to people but I am tired, I am sleepy, and I am hungry. I’ve got no time for all this crap. 

“Why not? I’m just visiting you. Aren’t you happy to see me?” He asks, he’s staring at me. His voice sounded off. He doesn’t seem like his usual self.

Going off on Min Woo like this isn’t me. I don’t usually burst like this, but it just feels like he’s invading my private space. My dorm is my private space and my friends are people I consider to belong in my inner circle. He should at least respect that. He’s pushing a little too much. There’s nothing between us. Why the hell is he in front of my dorm? What is he doing here? 

“I missed you. Where have you been?” He asked me. His eyes, they looked blank. How can he say such things when I can’t even see the slightest emotion in his eyes. Honestly, I admit that it’s partially my fault why he’s acting this way. It’s probably because I wasn’t able to make things clear between us. But now, I’ll fix what I need to fix. 

“You could’ve told me that you’d visit me or something.” I tell him.

“Then it wouldn’t be a surprise.” He replies without skipping a beat.

“I hate surprises. I also don’t like it when people show up at my place without telling me.” I tell him directly.

“Look, it’s not that deep!” He tries to defend himself. This time, I just can’t stand him. It’s as if an invisible wall has formed between us. I longer want to be associated with him. 

“Jung Min Woo, don’t you get it?” I asked him. I feel this big ball of emotion form inside me. I’ve got all this pent up anger that needed to be released. 

“Get what?” He asked. 

“I don’t like you.” I tell him. Saying these words came easy, it’s as if I didn’t care about what he felt. He was just blinking, trying to process everything I said. The thing is, all this anger I feel isn’t because of Min Woo. It’s all because of Mina. “I never have and I never will like you.” I tell him, without a trace of remorse in my voice.

“Yah. Son Chaeyoung, stop joking around.” He tries to get a hold of my arm but I quickly back away. 

_ I don’t want him touching me.  _

“Please, this isn’t going to head anywhere. ” I tell him. 

Jung Min Woo looked like he wasn’t paying attention, as if everything I was saying wasn’t something that he understood. Honestly, I would’ve felt a little bad saying those things if he at least looked hurt. But he doesn’t look hurt. He just stared at me, emotionless. 

For some reason, I felt a slight hint of fear. It’s because it looks like he doesn’t seem to care. Alarms go off inside my head, telling me to immediately get inside the dorm. 

“I’m sorry but let’s stop all of this. I’m sorry if I made you feel like there was something more between us.” I told him and quickly walked away from him. 

Walking towards the door to my dormitory seemed to go on forever. I am unsure but everything about Jung Min Woo seemed off. I cannot quite put a finger on it but there's just something not right about him. As I spoke those words, his eyes were devoid of any emotions. It felt like I was talking to a wall. For some reason, alarms went off inside my head. It felt like something bad was going to happen if I didn’t get out of there. 

“Lock the doors.” I announce as I enter the dorm. Everyone was inside the living room, they were waiting for me. Their eyes are full of worry. The moment I saw them, it felt like a huge amount of weight was lifted off of me. I started to breathe easier. 

“Why? What’s happening?” Asks Tzuyu, she then approaches me. I just shook my head, refusing to tell her what I was really thinking. 

“Son Chaeyoung, how did you meet that man?” Nayeon unnie stood up. Her eyes full of fear. Mina was trying to pull her back down, it looks like she’s trying to calm Nayeon unnie. Nayeon however, refused to be calm.

“What’s going on?” Asks Sana, adding fuel to the tension inside the dormitory. 

I just stared at everyone, an unbearable tension was felt inside the living room. Nayeon unnie’s eyes start to water, I see Sana walked over to her and she starts to soothe Nayeon by hugging her. 

“Is there something you’re not telling us?” Asks Mina. She sounded serious, and I just stared at her, clueless with what to say. 

“What?” That was all I could say. Nothing else came out of my mouth. This situation, it’s too much for me. 

“Son Chaeyoung. Do you know that man?” She asked once more, this time she sounded mad. I just stare at her. I’ve never seen her mad before. Mina unnie, she’s usually collected. But this time, I can feel her annoyance. 

“We’ve been on a couple of dates.” I told her, my voice was really low when I said those words. I see her stare at me sharply. Mina, looked furious. As I was about to say something else, Tzuyu chimed in. 

“Mina unnie, please don’t get mad at her. She didn’t know anything.” Tzuyu walks over to me, she just stood there beside me. I felt like my legs were jelly, I felt weak. I just stare at Mina, why is she mad at me? 

“What are you talking about?” I ask Tzuyu. She just stared at me and then she shifted her gaze to Nayeon unnie. Tzuyu’s eyes were full of worry. “What the hell is going on?” I demand answers. Tears were already streaming down Nayeon unnie’s face, Mina holding her hand tightly. 

“Chaeyoung-ah…” Trails Tzuyu off. She looked worried, unlike her usual self. This made me feel terrified. 

“Son Chaeyoung. How could you be so careless?” Mina unnie harshly asks. I just stare at her. I feel this rush of awful emotions wrap around me. Why is she scolding me? What the hell did I do? “You don’t just let any man into your life without knowing them thoroughly. What are you, a child?” When she spoke, her voice wasn’t increasing in volume but I have to admit that her words stabbed me. 

“Look, I don’t understand you.” I tell her, staring into her eyes seriously. I look at Nayeon unnie who’s already sobbing while Sana unnie comforts her. 

_ Everything’s a mess, I couldn’t comprehend anything. Everything is overwhelming.  _

“It’s not Chaeng’s fault.” Says Nayeon unnie as she looked up, her face all red. 

“What exactly is happening right now?” Asked Sana unnie. I feel Tzuyu’s arms on my shoulder, she’s trying to calm me down. I don’t know what was happening, but it felt like I was also about to burst into tears. 

“That guy. At first I didn’t recognize him. But, what happened was just too much for me not to remember.” Nayeon unnie sobs. Everyone listened, all our eyes were on her as she spoke. 

“That guy, he cornered me in a club one time. Made advances to me. Told me I was his girlfriend.” She sobbed as she narrated her story. While I listened to her, I felt disgusted with myself. How could I bring him into our lives like this?

“At first, I thought he was drunk and had mistaken me for his girlfriend. But I was wrong. He knew me. He knew my name.” She said this, while tears streamed down on her cheeks. I was frozen, listening to her broke my heart.

_ I felt disgusted, I wanted to puke my guts out. How can this happen to her? Of all people? _

“He said things that made me scared. I am afraid of what he’s capable of doing. Jung Min Woo, he’s my stalker.” She looked at me, her eyes full of fear. 

“Why didn’t you tell us anything? We could’ve done something about this!” Mina unnie starts scolding Nayeon unnie. Everyone was silent, we all just listened. 

“Do you think I wanted this to happen?” Replies Nayeon unnie, and everything about this just breaks my heart. I couldn’t bear seeing them argue about something that I am partly responsible for. 

I feel this hollow feeling inside me, I felt awful. As if everything was my fault. I just stare at her in disbelief. Sana and Tzuyu looked concerned while Mina unnie looked pissed. The tension inside the living room was unbearable. 

And then I realized something. 

“Fuck.” I curse. I see all of their eyes widen.

“What?” Asks Sana unnie.

“Call the cops.” I tell her. My whole body felt cold, this extreme feeling of fear has taken over me. “Call Jihyo unnie and tell her to lock their doors.” I tell them. My feet felt like it’s stuck, I cannot move. 

“What the hell is happening?” Asks Tzuyu. I look at her dead in the eye. I was mad at myself for letting something like this happen. This is all my fault.

“I never told Min Woo where I live.” I tell them, obvious fear was in my voice. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter took so long. I’ve been quite distracted these past few days (but in a good way LOL). What do you guys think? Please don’t kill me. Don’t forget to comment down below! If you have questions regarding the update do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @onlylookatcub. Have a good day!


	12. A what?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After everything that has happened to the gang, what else is in store for them? Find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! I'm sorry it took so long for the update, but here it is! I hope you guys enjoy!

It’s been days since our dormitory has been shaken by what we have found out. Nayeon unnie was the one who was mostly shaken about what has transpired. I pity her, she’s my cheerful unnie and I wasn’t used to seeing her become silent. She still laughs though, she’d still joke, but all of a sudden she’d stop being so cheerful and then she’d become really quiet. She’d even lock herself in her room. Seeing her like that is killing me. It’s just so out of character for her. 

That night, after we all made sure that Min Woo wasn’t outside anymore, we all drove to the nearest police station. Of course, everyone in our dorm was present in the station. We feared that, if one was left behind, Min Woo might try to break in and something unimaginable might happen. 

At the station, we were given answers for all the questions we needed. It’s a good thing that the station has data about Min Woo. His name really is Jung Min Woo, he’s 27 years old and has recently been discharged from the army only 3 months short for his 2 years old service. The reason why he’s discharged early? Jung Min Woo is a repeat sex offender, known to stalk women, and is officially diagnosed with mental illness while serving the army. He has also only recently returned to school. 

The information about Min Woo shook everyone to our core. We were scared to say the least. 

Unfortunately, according to law, we couldn’t really file a case against Min Woo unless he does something to us physically. This sounded downright insane, we couldn’t believe the information. How can someone like Jung Min Woo walk on the streets of Seoul, free and enjoying his time just because some stupid law has a fucking loophole? We were enraged when we heard this. Tzuyu wanted to smack the police, I understood her. What type of law encourages Citizens to either get killed or hurt before getting justice? 

  
  


_ This is some grade A bullshit, honestly.  _

  
  


“Can’t we do something about this? Aren’t there any options?” Asked Sana unnie. The police officer, that scumbag, smirked as if the question wasn’t valid at all. We know that our case is hopeless, but it’s also not easy to be in our situation. 

“This isn’t fast food. No, there aren’t any options here. We already told you what you could do.” One of the officers answered immediately. We didn’t really know what to do, so we just stared. 

  
  


All the police station could tell us was to always stick together. According to them, if we all traveled by twos, then it was unlikely for Min Woo to strike. They all looked sorry, except for that one officer. That asshole. Anyway, they wanted to help us but the laws against stalking and filing cases against such cases were really vague. They told us that we can only press charges once Min Woo really has entered our dormitory. 

  
  


_ Basically, we can only report when we’re either dead or really hurt.  _

  
  


We weren’t satisfied with what the police had to offer but at least we got information about Min Woo that night. We were able to head home around two in the morning, we all made sure that the doors were locked and everything was okay. Sana and Tzuyu slept in Nayeon unnie’s room to give her company. They were sweet enough to do such a thing, however, I just sat in the kitchen. I was thinking because I couldn’t sleep. So many thoughts ran through my head, some were necessary and some were unnecessary. All in all, too much thinking for the day. 

  
  


_ I remember what went down in the Kitchen that dawn. I remember because it hurt me, real bad.  _

Everyone during that point was tired, shellshocked even. Too much shock from the previous events surged through our body that nice words weren’t an option for anyone. Harshness, it was something that was felt inside the room. The amount of tension inside the room can only be at some level that if the tension does exceed the expected level, something has to blow up. And it did, something did blow up. 

  
  


“Do you really think that any guy who approaches you is interested in you?” Asked Mina unnie, she had this look in her eyes that I haven’t seen before. She sounded serious and to be honest, I’m not a fan. I just stared at her,I don’t understand why she’s acting like this, I mean, what for? 

“What? What are you talking about?” I lift my head up, and stared at her. I didn’t understand where she’s trying to convey but it does sound like she’s not in a good mood. 

“Are you a kid or something?” Mina unnie asked, the way she asked if it was so sharp. Her words stabbed me, her tone hurt me.

“Are you seriously still mad at me?” I asked her, I wasn’t really sure where the conversation might head but isn't this too much? Why does she make it seem like this is all my fault. 

She stared at me, this time I couldn’t really make anything off of her facial expression. Is she trying to restrain herself? Is this only the beginning of her disgust? Does she hate me? How did things escalate so quickly. 

“Please. I’ve had enough for today.” I mutter, not looking her in the eye. I hear her snicker.

“This isn’t about you. It’s about Nayeon unnie.” She replies, she then took the seat right across me. I just stare at her, feeling of annoyance has taken over me.

“I know. But why does it feel like you’re blaming me?” I ask her, she just stared at me. I can’t read her. One time she’s kind and then all of a sudden she’s mad at me. 

“Shouldn’t we be blaming you?” She asked me. 

I just stared at her, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I guess everyone can be angry, but I never thought Mina was this type. If this was someone else talking to me this way, I wouldn’t have a hard time trying to deal with this afterwards. I guess, the ones who make you the happiest can really make you the saddest too. 

“Look, I never wanted for any of this to happen.” I tell her, I feel like my insides were being torn apart as I explain myself to her. 

“But it did happen.” She stubbornly replied. She just stared at me blankly. “And it’s because you just had to date a boy you just met.” I see her give me a dirty look. 

“Is it wrong to date? I was just unfortunate enough—” I stand up without taking my eyes off of her. My pams resting flat on the table. She just stared at me blankly. Her cheeks, they were flushed. “—that the first guy who I thought was interested in me was actually just using me to get close to Nayeon unnie!” I snap at her. I feel my cheeks become hot and my voice becoming increasingly unstable. 

“It’s because you want attention.” She replies, without hesitation.

“I guess I do.” I reply. I felt this sinking feeling inside me. She just called me an attention-seeker. You know what’s the funny part? The person who I am most interested in doesn’t even take me seriously. I look at her, hoping that she’d understand what I am saying. She just stared at me, blinking. It looked like she cannot comprehend what I said. 

“I look desperate, right?” I smiled at her, she just stared at me. I couldn’t read her facial expression. I didn’t wait for her to answer me back, I turned my back and quickly marched to my room. I didn’t slam the door, I just walked in as quietly as possible.

  
  


That night, I cried myself to sleep.

  
  


Days have already passed since that night. Were the nights and days long? Very much indeed, yes. The days were excruciating and painstakingly long and I hated every minute of it. 

These days, my dorm mates have seem to become a lot looser. Though we are all vigilant because of what had happened, we still make sure that we don’t live our lives miserable just because of some asshole. Lately though, we don’t go out alone and no one is allowed to stay at home alone. We usually have someone to accompany us, we’re all too paranoid about the situation. We couldn’t help it. 

Most of the time, I spend my time with Tzuyu. Since we have classes together and we also belong to the same organization at School, we stay close to each other as much as possible. I’m at least thankful that Tzuyu is around, if it weren’t for her, I’d probably be bored to death.

As for Mina unnie, I haven’t really had a conversation with her since that night that we bickered. Honestly, I’m not mad at her. I don’t really have any reason to be mad at her, I guess she was just overwhelmed with what had happened that night. As for me? I don’t know. Am I hurt? I’m not sure, I feel kind of confused right now.

It just felt unfair that she had to take her anger out on me. Whatever, she doesn’t seem to care though. Whenever I see her around the house, she doesn’t seem to notice me, she tries her best not to make eye contact, and she avoids having a conversation with me. It’s fine with me though, it’s not a big deal. I know I‘ll survive. 

“OKAY.” I hear a senior call out to us and I instantly jerked out of my seat causing Tzuyu to laugh at me. 

“You can’t be short and a scaredy-cat at the same time.” She tells me. I just stare at her, wanting to choke her to death. 

We are currently at a meeting for our school organization. I don’t really know what the meeting is all about but I just indulge our upperclassmen and go to the meeting. We’re inside an empty classroom, about fifty people filled the room. The moment our upperclassman started talking, everyone went completely silent. All our attention was on him. He cleared his throat and opened his notes. 

“Okay, Good afternoon everyone.” He greets us all. We greet him back and he nods. “So for today, we will be talking about the school festival.” 

Basically, our upperclassman wanted to plan what our organization’s contribution will be for the school festival. Usually clubs do their contribution through a presentation or sometimes in monetary value. Our upperclassman thought that it was better for our organization to provide something in monetary value. 

At first I thought he’d want us to sell food during the event. But no, according to him, doing so would only cost so much time and effort. What he wants from us is to go and find sponsors. Everyone seemed to have agreed to the arrangement that he has thought about, so I just nod my head. I stare at Tzuyu and whisper.

“Don’t you think one hundred thousand won is too much?” 

“No.” She replies and then she stares at me. “Honestly, I’d rather give a hundred thousand won than practice for a play or dance.” She sighs. 

“You must be really rich.” I tell her jokingly and she just smiles. 

After the meeting, Tzuyu and I headed out to the main entrance of the University. We’re supposed to go and meet Jeongyeon unnie at the bakeshop where she worked part-time when all of a sudden she told me that she needs to go some place. 

“I have someplace to be.” She tells me, I can see that she’s a little antsy. I just stare at her, and frown. 

“What? Now?” I ask her, obviously confused with why she has to go all of a sudden.

“Kind of. Is that okay with you?” She asked me. I just stare at her. 

“It’s okay, I guess.” I mutter to myself. I see Tzuyu texting someone. 

“Don’t you worry, Mina unnie will accompany you to Jeongyeon unnie.” She tells me and then she points to a direction. “There she is.” Tzuyu smiles. 

I look over and see Mina unnie walking towards us. She’s wearing a turtleneck, a skirt, and boots. Her hair was down. As she walked closer and closer to us, I noticed that she’s wearing some makeup. I look away and immediately open my phone. I’m pretending to read through my texts. 

  
  


_ What the fuck is she doing here? _

  
  


“Unnie!” Tzuyu exclaims as she welcomes Mina to a hug. I pretend to not notice her by just scrolling through my feed, but it seemed too obvious so I just turned my phone off. Instead of acting like an idiot, I just listened to whatever they were talking about.

“Are you supposed to be somewhere now, Tzuyu-ah?” Mina asks.

“Yeah, unnie. I’ll have to go and pick Sana unnie up.” Replies the giant.

“Oh, yeah. Is she going to where Jeongyeon works too?” Asks Mina. 

“Yeah, I just feel bad leaving Chaeyoung that’s why I contacted you.” Tzuyu replies. The second she mentioned me in their conversation, my ears perked up. I was ready to listen. Even though I was pretending to just look around and pretend that nature is beautiful at night. Obviously, you can’t see shit at night. “It’s no problem. We need to stick together at times like this.” Mina unnie replies. 

“Anyway.” Tzuyu coughs so I immediately lift my head up and look at Tzuyu. “I have to go now. See you guys later.” Says Tzuyu. I just stared at her, I felt helpless. But I can’t really say anything, right? 

  
  


I just waved goodbye to her and Tzuyu started to walk off. 

  
  


After Tzuyu walked off, Mina and I didn’t talk. There was no conversation between us, we didn’t even look at each other. So in order for us to get to Jeongyeon’s place, I exited the University and of course I know she was following me. And then, I booked a grab for the both of us to ride to Jeongyeon’s place of work. 

The ride was so awkward. Even though we both sat at the back seat of the taxi, we sat far from each other. I didn’t care though, I wasn’t in the mood to talk to her. I can tell she wasn't in the mood to be with me so I just go with the flow, In about less than 5 minutes we arrive at our destination. I was about to pay for the cab when she suddenly spoke.

“It’s okay, Chaengie. Unnie’s got it covered.” She stared at me, I immediately looked away and headed out of the cab. I briskly walked inside the bakery, feeling my heartbeat go crazy.

  
  


_ What the fuck was that, Son Chaeyoung? She just stares at you and then you go Gaga? Get it together.  _

  
  


As I enter the bakery, I immediately spot Nayeon unnie seated at the table nearest to the counter. Probably so that she’d just be closer to Jengyeon unnie. I wave at her to let her know I’m here, she notices me and then she motions for me to sit next to her. I oblige. 

“So, Nayeon unnie.” I smile at her. She stared at me, she looked tired but she still smiled. “How are you doing?” I ask her.

“I’ve been feeling a lot better.” She replies and then she suddenly stared at the main entrance and then she smiled widely. “Minari! Come sit here!” The girl sounded excited. I just smile looking at her happy.

Mina unnie walks over to us and then she sits right in front of me, I turn my gaze to Nayeon unnie. I don't really want to look at her right now. Too much going on, I’d like to just have a calm night. Thank you. 

“Did you come together or something?” asks Nayeon. 

“We did but Chaeyoung came in first because I was paying the driver.” She replies. I just nod while scrolling through my phone. 

I look up and look around the bakery and smell the wonderful scent of freshly baked bread. I smile and then go back to scrolling through my phone. Just as I was about to ask where Jeongyeon unnie is, the unfunny creature appeared. She was carrying a tray of baked goods and some drinks. 

“Crap, I’ve got no money on me.” I tell them honestly. Nayeon and Jeongyeon just stared at each other, broke ass motherfuckers. 

“It’s okay Chaengie, unnie’s got you covered.” Says Mina.I turn my gaze at her and notice she’s looking at me. I just blink, not sure. with how to respond. Is she serious right now? 

“O-okay.” I reply awkwardly. How am I supposed to respond then? “Thanks, unnie.” I bow to her politely, just enough to make herr understand that I am indeed greatful. 

“So, Mina. How’s the search going?” Asks Jeongyeon as she sat beside Mina unnie. 

At first never knew what ‘search’ Jeongyeon unnie was referring to. Good thing Mina cleared it up and said it was just a thing that she did to know more about Min Woo. Since we all realized that Min Woo goes to the Same University as Tzuyu, Mina, and I, gathering information about him has become easier. 

“Hold up. Did you hack the school system or something?” Asks Nayeon. We all look at her, wondering whether she was joking or something.

“No, Sillly.” She smiles reassuringly to Nayeon. “I’ve been you know, able to ask around about him. Nothing really interesting came up.” She adds. She then proceeds to drink her coffee. She caught me just listening to her, she then grabs a drink from the tray and then she slowly slides it to me. 

I just stared at her, I wasn’t sure how to respond with what she just did.

_ “Um, excuse me miss. Do we have a problem?”  _ Should I ask her that? I badly want to ask her that. Instead, I just take the cup and wrap both my hands on it. I continue to listen to their conversation.

“But I was lucky enough to have found one good prospect.” She added as she took a bite off of her cookie. 

“What did your prospect say?” Asks Nayeon unnie. 

“Well, that person told me to just look Min Woo up on the internet.” 

“Is he supposed to be famous or something?” Asks Jeongyeon unnie, she sounded really sarcastic. 

“Yeah. I asked myself that too.” Replies Mina and then she quickly opens her phone and she starts to type something. “BUT.” Adds Mina loudly. 

“But what?” Asks Nayeon unnie in an annoyed tone.

“This.” Mina unnie shows us what she searched. 

_ MEET THE SOLE HEIR OF ECOTURE & Co. FURNITURES _

Our jaws drop the moment we read the Article’s title. Jung Min Woo, the sole heir of ECOURE & CO. FURNITURES in Korea. That’s why he’s so unreasonably loaded. I just stare at the Article title in disbelief.

“Son of a bitch is a fucking Chaebol.” Mutters Jeongyeon unnie. “No wonder why he acts like he’s above the law.” She lightly pounds the table with her fist. 

“This also explains why he’s got all that record in police station but without any arrests.” Explains Mina unnie. 

I just look at them, I can see the fear in their faces. I felt scared too. I couldn’t believe we’re actually dealing with someone who’s this powerful. No wonder why the army let him serve a time shorter than everyone else. For fuck’s sake, the guy is a sexual offender ad he’s still allowed to roam around the street and attend school! This is preposterous. 

“For fuck’s sake, can’t we just stab the guy to death or something?” Asks Nayeon unnie. She’s trying her best to lighten up the mood. However , Jeongyeon unnie wasn’t having any of it.

“This isn’t the time for jokes.” Jeongyeon gave Nayeon this scary stare. Nayeon just shrugged and then she subsequently took a bite off of her cookie. “From now on, you’re not allowed to walk around Seoul all by yourself.” Jeongyeon unnie Bossily commands Nayeon unnie. I expected Nayeon to retaliate but she just nodded.

“It’s not safe for any of us to walk alone.” Adds Mina, she’s staring at me. Probably still blaming everything. I just look away and sip on my drink. When will she stop blaming me, damn.

“Anyway, we can’t really do much about this.” Says Nayeon unnie. She sounded really down. I just put my arm around her, resting my head on her shoulder in the process.

“Nothing bad is going to happen. Trust me.” I tell her. 

I see Jeongyeon unnie and Mina talk, I can’t really hear them though. They’re probably talking about how to have a solution for this problem. I sit straight up and face Nayeon unnie. I smile at her. 

“I’m sorry.” I whisper, hoping that only Nayeon unnie hears what I was saying.She looks at me and then she smiled at me weakly.

“None of this is your fault.” She ruffles my short hair. I just roll my eyes at her, wondering how someone can be so optimistic amidst all this. “He’s a nut job. You never knew any of that.” She adds.

“Thank you unnie.” I smile at her. 

We all hung out for hours, just talking and drinking coffee. Apparently, when we arrived, Jeongyeon unnie’s shift was already finished. Even though we hung out for hours, Mina unnie and I never really spoke directly to each other. There was this tension between us. I, myself, wasn’t willing to talk. I just felt off after our exchange days ago.

  
  


_ How can I talk to someone who called me an attention seeker? It hurts.  _

  
  


After hours, Jeongyeon unnie proposed for us to head home all together. Just as I was getting ready to leave, Mina unnie walked towards Jeongyeon unnie and then she whispered something. I saw Jeongyeon nod and then she stared at me. 

“Oh, yeah. I forgot.” Jeongyeon declares. “Nayeon and I had someplace to be.” She adds. I just stare at her in disbelief. Are they trying to leave me again? This is unfair. 

“Where?” I ask her, Nayeon unnie was as equally confused as I am.

“Yeah, where?” Asks Nayeon to Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon just stares at her and then she grabs Nayeon unnie’s hand and they start walking away. Just as they were about to reach the door, Jeongyeon turns around and then she smiles at us. “We’ll get going, okay?” and then they walked out of the bakeshop. 

  
  


I just stare at Mina unnie who’s also staring at me. 

  
  


“I guess it’s just the two of us then.” Tell her. “Aren’t we going to go now or something?” I ask her impatiently. 

“We could walk to our dorm. It’s pretty close here.” She replies. I nod, get my stuff, and then we leave the bakeshop together. Jeongyeon unnie’s workplace is close to our dorms. So, walking isn’t really the issue here. 

As we walked to our dormitory, we were just silent. I didn’t talk, since I don’t want to make things more awkward between us. The night was cold and the moon looked beautiful, I just smiled as I looked up at the sky.

“Chaengie.” I hear Mina call my attention. I turn my gaze to her and see notice how her cheeks have become flushed, most probably because of the cold air.

“Yeah?” I ask her. 

“What I did days ago…” She trails off. I listen to her, I feel this suffocating feeling in my chest. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking properly.” She stared at me, biting her lower lip in the process. She was saying something now, but somehow I couldn’t hear whatever she was saying. Instead of listening, my eyes were fixated on her lips. Her red lips, I have to admit were pretty distracting.

“Chaeyoung…” She calls out to me.

“Y-yeah?” I reply, I was obviously in my own world. 

“I asked you a question.” She stared at me, she bit her lower lip once again. 

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t hear you.” I told her politely, we were still walking at this point.

“I said, would you go on a date with me.” She blatantly reiterates whatever she said a while ago. I just stare at her, my eyes wide in confusion. 

_ What the fuck? _

“A what?” I asked her, almost a little too aggressively. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, it’s happening ! Michaeng is happening! Anyway, the update is quite short, huh? I’ll update later or maybe tomorrow! Anyway, what are your thoughts? Don’t forget to comment down below and reach me @onlylookatcub via twitter to ask for updates!


	13. Day one?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

“I said, would you go on a date with me.” She blatantly reiterates whatever she said a while ago. I just stare at her, my eyes wide in confusion. 

_ What the fuck? _

“A what?” I asked her, almost a little too aggressively. 

“A date, Son Chaeyoung. Don’t you know what a date is?” She asked me, I see her smiling. I just stared at her, I was still confused. I immediately halt and let out an exasperated breath. I wasn’t sure what was happening. 

“Umm…” I close my eyes, trying to think things through. “Why, exactly?” I was pretty sure I gave her my most confused look because I saw her laugh at me, in turn I ended up laughing too.

“It’s a friendly date, silly.” She laughs. She just shook her head, probably because of how slow I was. “Weren’t you listening to me awhile ago?” She asked, her gummy smile almost blinding me. 

“I got distracted.” I defended myself, of course this was true. She just nodded. “What for, exactly?” I ask, trying to make sure I get all the details. I just didn’t want to assume. Assuming will only lead me to a heartbreak and I don’t want that. Nobody wants that unless you’re a masochist. 

“I just want to make it up to you.” She gave me this apologetic look. She just looked down to the ground, she’s fiddling with her feet. Why the heck is she so awkward? “We had a fight a while back. And well—-” I cut her off, I just want to cut things short. 

“Sure, unnie.” I smile at her. “I’ll spend time with you, tomorrow.” I tell her. 

“So, it’s a date?” She smiles. I just stare at her, the urge to correct her is eating me whole. I know, she’s just trying to be nice. This time, it’s my initiative to be less of a burden to her. 

“Sure, a friendly date.” I draw a line between us.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I keep tossing and turning in bed. I was up until god knows what time in the morning. I couldn’t be still. I kept sitting up and then lying down again. It was like a repetitive torture cycle. My body was awake, my soul was awake, I was awake. I tried to close my eyes and let my mind rest but I could only see one thing.

_ Mina, in her turtleneck, skirt, and boots. She looked shy, her thin red lips moving. She’s saying something. “I said, would you go on a date with me?” she asked.  _

I sit straight up and open my eyes. The sun was peeking through my window, it’s morning. I quickly grabbed my phone to check what time it was, it was six o’clock. I just sit still and stare at the cream colored wall in front of me. 

“Son Chaeyoung, what the fuck are you doing?” I asked myself. 

I mean, I ask myself that question everyday but today that question has got a heavier bearing. As I continue to space out, staring at the wall, I hear a knock. My head swiftly turned to the door’s direction. I just stare at it. My eyes half closed. The door opens and it spits out a giant. A demon tree to be exact.

“Wow. You look horrible.” Says Tzuyu. I just blink at her. “Why does it look like you haven’t slept for a century?” She asks. 

“Why does it look like you’re a 7-foot Chinese man?” I sass her back. I see her roll her eyes at me. She enters my room and then she sits on my bed.

  
  


_ She’s Taiwanese, not Chinese.  _

  
  


“It’s too early for you to sass me, but okay.” She admits her defeat. I just smile at her, feeling this glorious energy from winning a bickering contest with Chou Tzuyu. 

“Need something from me?” I ask her. I stretch my arms out and let out a yawn, then I stare at her. No response. “Well? You’ve got to need something from me because it’s very unlikely of you to barge in my room this early in the morning.” I tell her, of course the words just kept coming. It’s Tzuyu that I’m talking to, the level of confidence I have is through the roof. 

“Dahyun unnie wanted you to read this.” She hands me folded paper. I just stare at it in confusion. She stared at me back, she looked unamused. “Don’t ask me what that is because I don’t know either.” She answers me, without me asking her anything. I carefully grabbed the piece of paper, but I didn’t unroll it just yet. What could this be? This early in the damn morning? Kim Dahyun really is something. 

“What’s up with her?” I ask Tzuyu. 

“Who knows? You guys have known each other for a long time now, you should know.” Says the giant as she stands up and walks towards the door. Just before she leaves me, she turns around. “Anyway, don’t forget about the thing about the school festival.” 

I just nodded at her and off she went. I then quickly unfold the piece of paper and read what the fuss is all about. 

  
  


_ MEET ME AT MY DORM ROOM AT 5 O’CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON _

  
  


I just stare at the note. What kind of amateur thing is she trying to do here? Why would she send me a note when she’s got my number? Does she think she’s some person living during the Victorian era? What’s up with her? Jeez, it’s only six in the morning and I’m more confused than ever. 

Honestly, sometimes I think I already know Kim Dahyun but then she’d pull a surprise move and I’d begin to doubt myself again. I would start to ask questions like  _ “Did I really date this idiot?” Or “Holy shit, I once was in love with this fool.”  _ You know, things like that. Sometimes I’d even think to myself  _ “Wow, I once was in bed with this pabo. How the hell did she bag me again?”  _ And I’d just laugh my heart out. 

I plop back to my bed and stare at the ceiling again, I don’t know. I don’t even know anymore, too much is happening at the same time and I could barely keep up. I wasn’t made for the fast-paced life, I am Son Chaeyoung and all I want is to have a break. There’s so many things happening at the same time that I could barely keep up. 

I just stare at the cream-colored ceiling and think of the possible things that might happen during my time with Mina unnie later. I just stare at the blank ceiling and my thoughts have somehow become blank as well. Nothing. I can’t seem to think of the possibilities. Is it because it’s something that’s difficult to believe? Or is it because I know deep inside it’s only a friendly date and nothing more? 

Maybe because of all the unnecessary thoughts and all the thinking I’ve done, I just seem to not notice but my eyes actually got heavy and without knowing, I fell asleep. 

Little over 4 o’clock in the afternoon, I started my ritual. I took a bath, picked some nice clothes to wear, and then put on some makeup. After all of the hocus pocus was done, I stared at myself in the mirror. My short hair now properly combed and styled and my face looking half decent. I blink, not sure with what I was wearing. 

Is pants an appropriate thing to wear during dates? But this isn’t a date though. I’m just having dinner with Mina. But I like Mina. I have so many thoughts about Mina unnie. I’m not even afraid to admit that my amount of thoughts about her has increased these past few days.

  
  


_ Skirt it is.  _

  
  


I quickly put on the skirt, it wasn’t too short nor too long. It’s just three inches above my knees. It wouldn’t hurt to look pretty, right? I’ve got to look presentable when going out, who knows? Some agency might scout me. 

After I finish dressing up, I take my purse and head out. I’m supposed to get a text from Mina at around 5:30 or something. Before all that though, I have to meet with Kim Dahyun, she’s got something to tell me. I don’t know what it is but, it’s probably something urgent. As I walked to the dorm next door, the cold breeze of Seoul air touched my skin, I just shiver.

  
  


_ Must I really suffer for fashion? _

  
  


I shook off the thought out of my head and continued to walk inside Dahyun’s Dorm. As I entered inside, I expected to be greeted either by Jeongyeon unnie, Momo unnie, or Jihyo unnie. But, the place was quiet. I closed the door behind me and stood my ground. Why isn’t anyone here? It’s awfully quiet and I have to admit I think that’s a little weird. When you live in a dorm with people like Jeong, Momo, Jihyo, and Dahyun, peace is not an option because Chaos is the norm. 

“Yah, Kim Dahyun! Where are you?” I called out to her. I just stand my ground as I wait for her to respond. 

“Back here!” I hear her call out to me. “In the Laundry room!” She adds. I just nod and walk towards the laundry room whereas expected, I see her doing laundry. 

“Yeah, you need something?” I asked her, I was pertaining to the note she passed to Tzuyu this morning. She doesn’t look up, she continues to sort out her clothes. 

“What do you mean?” She asked back, still not looking up. She’s still busy sorting her clothes out. 

“Why are you asking me? Aren’t you supposed to be the one to know?” I ask back, this time I leaned on the doorway as I cross my arms. 

“To know what?” She asked again, this time she stood up but instead of looking up, she turned around to operate the washing machine. I roll my eyes in frustration. 

“Yah. Aren’t you even going to look at me?” I asked her, my tone was becoming increasingly frustrated. She turns around, and then she raised both her eyebrows at me.

“Yeah?” She asked, as if I am the one disturbing her. I throw both my hands in frustration and then I see her chuckle. 

“The NOTE.” I tell her, hoping that the word NOTE might remind her that she wanted me to come over to her place. She looks at me for awhile and then she nods her head as if she recalled what she had forgotten. 

“Oh yeah!” She chuckles. The Dahyun chuckle. I just stare at her blankly. 

“Did you really have to give me a note?” I chuckle, she smiles. “Are we in middle school or something?” I add.

“I was going for the cool vibe.” She pouts and I just shook my head at her. “Did you like it?” She asks, this time I just sigh in frustration. 

“Stop stalling. I’ve got things to do.” I tell her, the sense of urgency in my voice could be felt. She just smiles and then she starts to load the washing machine with her white clothes. 

“I can see that.” She turned around and checked me out from head to foot. She had this tasteful look on her face. The moment her eyes landed on my legs, I swear to God it’s as if I can hear her face go  _ “Uhhh-huh” _ . I raised my eyebrows at her and crossed my arms over my chest. 

“Eyes up here.” I tell her, making my voice loud and clear. She suddenly snapped and she looked me in the eye. “Look at my face and my face only. Don’t let your eyes wander beyond that.” I smile at her sourly. I hear her snicker. 

“What are you being so shy about?” She sounded really mocking. I just look at her, warning her with my eyes. “I’ve seen you naked billions of times. Jesus, don’t act so naive.” She laughs and then she continues to operate the washing machine. 

“Shut up!” My voice was loud, I couldn’t help myself. I hear her snicker once more and I swear I wanted to pick a fight with her. “You wanted me here. Why?” I ask her directly, hoping that this time she’d give me a proper answer. She turns around and then she crosses her arms, she’s leaning on the washing machine.

“I was hoping we could get dinner.” She answers casually. 

“Like, right now?” I ask her, I was a little overwhelmed but I did my best to conceal it. She just nodded and then she walked towards me. 

“Yeah, like tonight.” 

I just stared at her, I was obviously weirded out by her invitation. Because first of all, why would she want to have dinner with me? Second, why so sudden? Third, this is just so weird. I looked at her, she wanted answers. Though I don’t see anything wrong with having dinner with her, the timing is just so off. Mina unnie asked me out first. 

“Yeah, I can’t do dinner tonight.” I tell her. She didn’t look shocked, she seemed nonchalant. 

“Why? You going to have dinner with someone else?” She asks. I just shake my head. 

“No, I’ve got errands to run for tonight.” I lie to her. She obviously knows I’m lying. I mean, who the hell runs an errand wearing a skirt? In cold weather? But I hope she’d just let me go and let me do my thing. She just nodded her head and gave me a thumbs up. 

“Okay, but be careful.” She tells me softly. She then turns around and then she proceeds to continue to do her chores. Just as I was about to walk off, she said something. “Call me if you change your mind.” She sounded really soft, longing even. I shrug it off though, there’s no room for interpretation between us. 

After my conversation with Kim Dahyun, I took an Uber. Inside the Uber, I waited for Mina unnie to text me where we would meet. But, a significant amount of time has already passed and still there wasn’t anything from Mina unnie. I start to feel this big ball of emotion inside of me form. 

[KAKAO TALK]

Me:  Unnie, where should we meet tonight?

  
  


I promised myself that I would wait for her to text me today. I promised myself that I wouldn’t text her first and that I’d just play it cool. But it’s almost 6 o’clock and I still haven’t gotten a text from her. I can’t help myself, I’m sorry. I may have failed myself but atleast I reached out, right?

Not longer than 5 minutes later, I feel my phone buzz. I immediately opened my phone and saw a reply from Mina. I’m telling you, I’ve never opened my KAKAO TALK that fast.

  
  


[KAKAO TALK]

Me:  Unnie, where should we meet tonight?

Penguin:  Let’s meet at Teal bar tonight. Sound good?

I just look at the text for a few seconds before replying. 

[KAKAO TALK]

Me:  Unnie, where should we meet tonight?

Penguin:  Let’s meet at Teal bar tonight. Sound good?

Me:  They serve food there, right?

I was genuinely confused because we both agreed on dinner, not drinking. 

[KAKAO TALK]

Me:  Unnie, where should we meet tonight?

Penguin:  Let’s meet at Teal bar tonight. Sound good?

Me:  They serve food there, right?

Penguin:  Yeah! Don’t worry. I’m not trying to get you to drink lol

I smile at my phone. I looked up and told my Uber Driver the destination and off we went. Teal Bar is located near my University and most of the time, it’s filled with Patrons my age. But for some reason, everytime I visit, it’s not really busy. The place looked great. The last time I was here was when I had to pick and bring drunk Mina home. It’s been months since that encounter. 

As I take my seat, I start to fiddle with my hands. I feel this small ball of anxiousness inside me. It’s very overwhelming that I had to sigh and bounce my foot from time to time. I was jittery all over, It even seemed like I am breathing faster than I’m used to. Jesus, I’m a mess. I stand up but leave my purse on the table. I needed to go to the washroom and calm myself down. This isn’t me! I’m like, the calmest person ever! 

As I enter the washroom, I turn on the faucet and wash my hands. I scrub it, using my finger nails. I realized I was scrubbing a little too hard when my skin started to become red. I just pause and look up, I see my reflection in the mirror. 

“What the fuck are you looking at?” I ask myself and then sighed. 

I then finish up, dry my hands, and then head out of the washroom. 

I was hoping that when I get back to our table, I’d already received a text from Mina unnie saying that she’s on her way. But I got none. I just looked at my phone, I felt a little disappointed. It was already 7 o’clock, why hasn’t she texted me yet? I decided to compose another text message to remind her.

[KAKAO TALK]

Me:  Unnie, where should we meet tonight?

Penguin:  Let’s meet at Teal bar tonight. Sound good?

Me:  They serve food there, right?

Penguin:  Yeah! Don’t worry. I’m not trying to get you to drink lol

Me: I’m already here, what time are you going to be here?

Me: Do you want me to order for you?

I look at my phone screen for a very long time. It even felt like it was going to melt because of my gaze. However, even though I stared at the screen for so long, I got no reply back. I sigh in frustration. All I’m asking is one reply from her. Is one reply too much? 

I lean back to my chair and lightly throw my phone on the table. I look up at the ceiling and breathe out. I feel my cheeks become hotter by the minute, I don’t think this is doing me any good. I look at the table, my phone resting on it. I just sigh and shake my head. 

  
  


_ Look, Son Chaeyoung, what the fuck are you so worried about? She’ll be here any minute, just calm down and wait for her. You don’t want to come off as clingy, right? You’re better than that.  _

  
  


I lean in and grab my phone, open it and try to check if I had any message from Mina. But, as expected, there was none. I am seated near the counter, I turn my gaze to the bartender, we lock eyes and he smiles at me. I smile at him back, trying not to seem like a loser.

“Tough night, huh?” He asks me. 

“Real tough, I guess.” I smile at him. 

“If you need anything, just tell me and I’ll whip you some nice smooth drink.” He smiles and then he continues to polish the glasses he was working with. I just nodded, not really sure whether I want to stay any longer. 

[KAKAO TALK]

Me:  Unnie, where should we meet tonight?

Penguin:  Let’s meet at Teal bar tonight. Sound good?

Me:  They serve food there, right?

Penguin:  Yeah! Don’t worry. I’m not trying to get you to drink lol

Me: I’m already here, what time are you going to be here?

Me: Do you want me to order for you?

_ 7:30 PM _

Me:  Are you busy? 

  
  


I breathe out. I just stare at my phone,waiting for some response. At this point, any response would do. I wouldn’t even care whether she doesn’t come to see me, I’m really exhausted at this point. Why? Why would she even ask me out to dinner and not turn up? Does she see me as a joke? She probably doesn’t take me seriously. Thoughts started to flood inside my head. Thoughts I hate. Thoughts that I wish I could just ignore. But, how can I ignore something that might be true?

I turn my phone off and then place it on top of the table again. I just let myself sink in my seat. I want to melt. I want to evaporate. I just want to disappear. Can I just please disitigrate? 

Just as I was about to stand up and go to the washroom again, I heard my phone ring. I quickly grab my phone and see that it’s Mina unnie calling me. I quickly answer the call.

“Hey…” I greeted her, softly. Hoping that I get to see her tonight.

“Hi.” I hear her greet me on the other line. 

“Are you going to be here soon?” I ask her, trying to make my voice sound cheerful. I hear her sigh on the other line. 

“Chaeng-ah, I got caught up with a little something…” She trails off. It felt like she was hesitant. It’s like something.

I just chuckle, I don’t want to make her feel bad. I don’t want to make her feel like shit for not seeing me today. Tonight’s dinner was too good to be true, I felt last night that something would come up. Things like being asked out by their crushes don’t usually happen to people like me. Why would it? The deities up above don’t grant wishes everyday. I’m unlucky like that. 

But I have to admit, I want to see her. I want to look at her, feel her presence, and just enjoy being around her. I am smitten. I knew I had been for weeks now. I am a little disappointed that she had to cancel on me at the last minute. What can I do, right? It’s not like I have the bargaining power over her. 

“Oh? What a coincidence!” I tell her in a cheerful voice. 

“Huh?” I hear her ask in confusion. 

“Yeah, I am supposed to go somewhere too! I have uh…” I trail off, not sure what to tell her. “I have this thing that I have to do, so yeah.” I tell her in my most cheerful voice, hoping that she wouldn’t feel bad for not coming here. 

“Oh…” I hear her trail off. “I guess, we’re both busy.” She adds, her voice soft as always. I shake my head, because no, I’m not busy. 

  
  


_ You’re just not going to see me that’s why I’m pretending to be busy.  _

  
  


“Yeah, we sure are.” I chuckle, I hear her chuckle too. “So, I’ll see you at the dorm then?” I ask her, wanting to hear her voice before I end our call.

“Chaengie-ah, I’m so sorry. I’ll see you at home, okay? ” She replies and then I just end the call abruptly. Holding my phone in my hand, I take a seat and just sigh. A cocktail of emotions is building up inside me, but mostly I feel like shit. 

She was polite enough to tell me something came up, but still, I feel like shit. How could I allow myself to have dinner with her? She’s been the most confusing woman I’ve ever encountered. Why on earth did I let myself feel like I was somehow worthy of her attention. 

Still clutching to my phone, I feel the bartender’s gaze. I look at him, and I see him smile at me. I bow to him, trying to be polite.

“Your friend’s not coming?” He asks. I just shake my head.

“No, someone’s joining me in a while.” I tell him with a smile. As I clutch my phone, I feel like I shouldn’t waste tonight. Heck, I already dressed up. A little inconvenience should not be something to be taken seriously. I opened my phone and contacted the best person at times like this. I put my phone close to my ears and wait for her to answer. 

“Yeah? What’s up?” I hear her pick up my call.

“Still up for that dinner, Dahyun-ah?” I ask her with a smile on my lips. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me.


	14. A Chuseok to remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, what's up, guys? I hope you guys enjoy the update! Don't forget to comment down below and if you have any inquiries for the next update do not hesitate to DM me on twitter at @onlylookatcub. Enjoy!

"No, someone’s joining me in a while.” I tell him with a smile. As I clutch my phone, I feel like I shouldn’t waste tonight. Heck, I already dressed up. A little inconvenience should not be something to be taken seriously. I opened my phone and contacted the best person at times like this. I put my phone close to my ears and wait for her to answer. 

“Yeah? What’s up?” I hear her pick up my call.

“Still up for that dinner, Dahyun-ah?” I ask her with a smile on my lips. 

Not long after I contacted Kim Dahyun, she came running over to Teal bar wearing a smile on her face, she also brought an extra hoodie. She wore comfortable clothes, and I just remember all the days we spent together years ago. She didn’t change at all. I smiled at her, her sight made me feel comforted. 

  
  


_I’m not alone anymore, it just feels so nice to be with someone._

  
  


“What’s that Hoodie for?” I ask her, trying to stifle my laughter. She gave me that ‘What?’ look. 

“What do you mean what’s this hoodie for?” She smiles as she took the seat right in front of me. I just follow her movements with my eyes. “Who wears skirts in a cold weather like this, anyway?” She chuckles.

“I wear what I want, Kim Dahyun.” I tell her, my eyes try to warn her about testing me with this type of conversation. She just shook her head, trying to hide her smile. 

“Stupid, I’m not saying you can’t wear what you want.” She slyly smiles, I can tell she’s just having fun teasing me. 

“What are you trying to say then?” I ask her. 

“What I’m trying to say is…” She trails off as she props her elbows on the table, leaning in closer. I leaned back, feeling a little uncomfortable with the lack of distance. “I know you. You always wore skirts when we spent time together back then.” She shakes her head, she’s still trying to hide her smile.

“No, I didn’t!” I protest. 

“Yes, you did! Even when it’s cold outside, you still wore damn skirts!” She laughs. She then stared at me for a while. 

“What? What are you looking at, huh?” I try to act tough. She just shook her head and then she handed me the hoodie, and I just looked at her in awe. I feel my cheeks start to warm up, and I feel my heart twitch a little. 

I do remember wearing skirts every time we went on our date. Though I love wearing comfortable and chic clothes, I always try to dress nicely when we decide to spend our time together. It’s not because I want to be pretty, but I felt like dressing up would make up for the fact that I hid our relationship. I remember her scolding me for dressing up too shortly, she always told me to wear more clothes during cold nights. But, because I am hard-headed, I always do what I want. 

But, after some time Dahyun finally caught on. Whenever it’s cold and we decide to spend our time together, she would always bring something that would keep me warm. We were like that, we understood each other in so many ways. I hated telling her what I want directly but luckily she’s smart like that. She always catches on. 

I take the hoodie and pull it close to me. I smile at her, not wanting to voice out my gratitude. I just don’t want to say anything. 

“You remembered.” I mumble under my breath, as I look at her. 

“How could I forget?” She smiles, her eyes seemed a little sad.

I just nod, not really adding anything to whatever she said. I’m afraid if I add something, she might ask something about why I suddenly changed my mind tonight. I then turn my gaze to the Bartender and then back to Dahyun.

“Should we order now?” I ask her. She just nods and then I proceed to order. 

Ordering food with Dahyun isn’t a hassle, that’s why our food arrived quickly. Though Teal bar is meant for people to drink, food is also available. I have to say though, the food tasted really decent and I don’t regret ever going there. 

“So now that we’re done eating…” She trails off and then she gave me this smile.

“What now?” I ask her. 

“Who ditched you?” She chuckles. 

My eyes widened when she asked me this. I just blink, trying to think of a way to dodge her question. Jesus, why does she have to be so curious? I always thought that she might not notice, but of course, Kim Dahyun’s too smart to not notice that I’ve been ditched. I just stare at her, still thinking of ways to lie.

  
  


_Kim Dahyun, you’re too nosy._

  
  


“Oh my God. The great Son Chaeyoung got ditched!” She exclaims and then she laughs comically. I just give her a nasty look.

  
  


_Kim Dahyun is ugly._

  
  


“No, I didn’t.” I tell her directly. She gave me this mocking look, I just rolled my eyes at her. “It wasn’t even a date! Mina unnie just invited me to dinner. That’s all.” Good thing I’m straightforward enough to tell her what really the situation is. 

“Dinner?” She asked me. I nod at her and she nods her head too. 

“It wasn’t even that big of a deal. She wasn’t able to go here because she needed to tend to something.” I just tell her, while also reassuring myself that I didn’t get ditched. I look down at the table and I start to fiddle with my chopsticks.

“Liar.” I hear her blurt out. I quickly looked up, and I saw that she became serious. I just stare at her, not knowing what to say. I know making up stories won’t work because this girl knows me inside out. “You like her, don’t you?” She asks me. 

  
  


I just stare at her, feeling my heart start to beat faster than it did today. I breathe out, how frustrating can this day get? All I wanted to do was have a great time. 

  
  


“What is it to you?” I ask her, getting annoyed at how nosy she’s becoming. Why does she care anyway? I have a life of my own now. She must at least know her place. She must understand that there’s nothing between us anymore. 

“It’s nothing to me. It’s just a friendly question.” She answers without missing a beat. She then pretends to be bored by checking on her nails. “Whatever. Even if you don’t say anything, I already know your answer.” She looks up and then she smiles at me, blandly. 

“Stop speculating.” is all I could get out of my mouth. 

“I’m not.” She stares at me, sharply. Her gaze pierced through me. I just look at her, not saying anything. I feel so much hate towards her right now, simply because she knows me so much. It shocks me how much she knows every little detail of me. “You wore a skirt.” She adds.

“I did. So what?” I ask her, I feel like I know where our conversation is heading. “Did you want me to walk the streets of Seoul only in my underwear?” I sarcastically ask her. 

“No. That would be an awful sight.” She smiles at me. 

Fuck her, awful sight my ass? As if she hasn’t seen me in my underwear before. Bitch please, I know she loved that sight.

“You like her. You wouldn’t have worn a skirt if you didn’t.” Says Dahyun. 

  
  


_I just stare at her, hating the fact that she’s actually right._

  
  


“But let me tell you something.” She leans in, looking me right in the eye. I just nod at her, allowing her to go on with whatever she’s supposed to continue. “Just because she invited you to dinner doesn’t mean she’s into you too.” 

  
  


I don’t know whether she’s just being an asshole or she’s trying to break my heart. But what came out of her mouth stung a little, just enough to make me bite my lower lip. Annoying, truly. 

  
  


“I never expected her to like me back.” I tell Kim Dahyun with confidence. But it would be nice if she did. 

“Don’t invest too much on people who probably won’t like you back.” She replies. I just looked at her, my jaws dropped.

“Fuck off. Are you telling me I’m not good-looking?” I asked her, I was obviously offended. She just stares at me. 

“No, that’s not what I am telling you.” She replies.

“What is it, then?” I ask her.

“Stop liking straight girls. Myoui Mina is probably the straightest girl I know.” She stares at me, as if she’s sure with whatever that’s coming out of her mouth.

I just nod at her, smiling even. Look, I can accept the fact that Mina unnie might probably not like me back, okay? Who cares? But what kind of straight girl kisses another girl on the lips while laying beside her? What kind of straight girl is that? Mina unnie, she’s definitely in the spectrum. But whatever, right? It’s none of my business whether she is straight or not. 

The night ended right after our dinner. Dahyun and I took a cab home and we parted ways when we reached in front of her dormitory. When I arrived home, it was the usual. People weren’t there. They were probably busy doing their own thing. Like usual, I head straight to my room and prepare for bed. I instantly fell asleep that night, since the night before, I wasn’t able to sleep a wink.

—

It’s been months since I was able to actually go home and spend time with my family. It’s a good thing South Korea celebrates Chuseok. Of course, I do not intend to spend Chuseok alone and away from my family. It’s a tradition to go home and enjoy Chuseok with one’s family. That’s the reason why I’m here, sitting on the train on my way home.

Where I live isn’t that far away, compared to the others but I still have to ride the train in order to reach my hometown. To be honest, it’s been months since I saw my family in person. I have to admit that I am excited, I just missed them so much. Especially my mom, I miss her. I miss her cooking, her nagging, basically just everything about mom. 

Walking out of the train station felt nice. It’s been a tiring semester, though it hasn’t ended yet, the semester has indeed been very frustrating for so many reasons. Chuseok is the best break I could get even if it’s only for two days. I didn’t book for grab though because cabs were lined right outside of the station, which is pretty convenient. I hailed one cab, rode it, and instructed it where my place was. 

“Coming home for Chuseok?” asks the taxi driver, he’s staring at his rear view mirror. I smile at him.

“Yeah, it’s been a few months since I’ve seen my family.” I smile at him, and I see him nod. He then turned his attention to the road and continued to drive. The train station is not that far from my home but the distance is still considerably good. I turn my gaze back at the cab driver. “Aren’t you going to take the holiday off, Ahjussi?” I ask him, trying to make conversation. 

I see his eyes smile through the rear-view mirror. “Holidays do not exist for people like me.” He chuckles, and I just nod. I barely understood what he was talking about. 

“What I’m trying to say is, during holidays like this students like you come home. I gain a good amount of income through you kids.” He chuckles as he drives to our destination, turning left and right now and then. The streets become more familiar as the seconds go by. A smile on my face starts to form, feeling an excitement grow inside me. 

“You can drop me off here, Ahjussi.” I told him and he halted the cab. I felt a little sorry for him because he has to work during holidays. I mean, holidays are supposed to be celebrated with our families. I understood that he had to do that for money, but still. I felt bad. I handed him a good amount of money and left without saying a word. I didn’t want to say anything, he might just argue with me.

Our house is found at a higher plane, though I know it’s very unnecessary for me to not be dropped off exactly in front of my house, I think it’s okay. I wanted to walk anyway, I missed our neighborhood. 

The moment I stepped out of the cab, I already saw our house. As I walk towards it, I realise that I’ll be spending two days with my family. I haven't really thought of how I am going to spend it this year, I mean, I’ve been so immersed with the academics that Chuseok isn’t really my priority for this year. Whatever. I’ll just spend it however I want. As I reached our gate, I clicked on the intercom and waited for someone to let me in. 

My family, of course, knew that I was coming home for Chuseok. What else would I be doing? 

As I entered our gate, I was greeted by the wide lawn which I walked across in order for me to reach our front door. I knocked, and got inside without anyone really opening the door for me. 

When I got inside, the house was silent. As usual. But I didn’t dislike the silence. In fact, I liked it, the place was peaceful as usual. It’s unlike the dormitory. The dormitory was quiet at times but on most days I'd hear the other girls banter with each other. A friendly banter that would sometimes last for hours, it was fun. Actually, I loved the dorm’s noise. 

I went directly to the kitchen where I expected my mom to be preparing something for dinner. I was right, she was there. Her back was facing me, she obviously had no idea I’m already inside. Jeonghoon was probably the one to activate the intercom. 

I slowly walked towards her, making sure to take light steps. With a smile on my face I put my arm on her shoulder and coughed, to gain her attention. The moment she turned around to check who it was, her face lit up at the sight of me. Mom sprang right up and pulled me to a hug. Of course, I hugged her too. I missed this, I needed this.

“Oh? What’s the matter mom? Missed your eldest daughter, huh?” I jokingly asked her. She pulled away from the hug and she lightly touched my chin.

“Have you not been eating well? You’ve gotten so thin, Chaeyoung-ah!” Her remark was full of worry, but I shake my head. Implying that there was nothing to worry about. She just held my hand, she’s still eyeing me as if I’m she can’t believe what she’s looking at.

“What’s all the fuss about?” I heard Dad’s voice as he was entering the kitchen. I immediately turned around and smiled at him. When he saw me, his strict demeanor faded away. I immediately saw a smile form on his face as he opened his arms wide, welcoming me for a hug. I ran to him immediately and sank into his warm embrace. 

“Dad, I missed you guys so much.” I whined while I was still in his grasp. I heard him snicker, I pulled away from the hug and gave him the meanest look. “What’s so funny?” I ask him as I pout. 

“If you missed us so much why didn’t you bother visiting us on the weekends?” He asked me. I just smile at him slyly, of course he knew the answer. It’s because I was too lazy to do so.

“Your dad’s right, how could you say that? You barely call us.” Says mom as she places her hand on her waist, she was waiting for an answer. I just stared at her and then smiled, I mean she’s right. 

“Noona!” Jeonghoon shouts as he sprang out of Dad’s back. I wasn’t even surprised, he’s usually like this. I just pulled him to hug and I can hear mom and dad chuckling. “Noona, life as a University student hasn’t been kind to you, has it?” he asks. I was a little taken aback with his question, I haven’t realized he’s become very sensible over the past few months.

“What made you say that?” I ask him. He just shrugged.

“It’s because you haven’t grown an inch.” He sarcastically pats my head like I’m a child. I playfully nudged him in the ribs which made our parents laugh. I sure missed this. 

Later that day during lunch, our family has decided to eat outside. Though most stores or department stores are traditionally closed during Chuseok, there are of course some brave ones who still open. These types of stores are open until maybe the late afternoon? But they close during the evening to pay tribute to the Holiday. The streets of Seoul were very empty and it bore little to no people in it. My family didn’t mind though, they liked the empty streets. Less annoying people, as my dad describes it. 

Instead of spending our morning together at home, they wanted to stroll around and check if cafes were open. Though in most cases, the stores were closed but there is a tiny fraction that still open. My family and I spent our morning and late afternoon strolling through the seemingly silent streets of seoul. We ate some food, drank at cafes, and desserts. It felt nice to actually spend time with them, my family. 

We talked so much, we didn’t talk this way when I was still in highschool. Mom and dad were so interested with how I've been living in my dorm. Of course, I told them that I was doing fine, like I am. I am doing good, though the academics isn’t at all easy, I could say I enjoy it anyway. I mean, studying is not a big deal. I came there to study that is why I’ve prepared myself from all the stress and pressures. 

What I didn’t anticipate is what stressed me the most, actually. But of course, I never mentioned any of that. I do not need my family worrying about me over such nonsensical things, I’d rather have them worry about more important things. 

We all talked so much, we even talked about Jeonghoon. Apparently, the brat started dating already, I couldn’t believe it. I just stared at him, it was something that I thought was unbelievable. Though I know that someday he would start dating, I never thought that he’d start dating now. I mean, even though he’s taller than I am, I still see him as my baby brother. The little brat that would constantly annoy me, when did he grow up? It felt like so much has changed since I started studying away from home. It felt weird but in a good way.

When the streets started to dim, our family decided to go home and prepare dinner together. Of course, I helped out. We cooked and also set the table. Just like before, I cannot stress enough how much I missed all of this. I missed how me and Jeonghoon banter over things that made no sense. I missed how either mom or dad would scold us, and lightly hit us after all the nagging. I missed our house, how it is so warm and cozy, how it looked, and just everything about it. 

  
  


_It feels nice to be home again._

  
  


Dinner was great, the food was amazing, and we also talked again. We talked as if we haven’t seen each other in ages. But mostly, we talked and roasted my younger brother about his lovelife. We were probing, annoying, and generally just being nosy around him. Good thing he was such a sport, he wasn’t even annoyed with all the questions. He’s really a grown up now, he’s matured so much over the past few months. 

After dinner, Jeonghoon and Dad stayed in the living room playing video games. I wanted to join them but realized they might talk about something important so I just let them be. Instead, I went outside and stayed at our porch which overlooked our lawn and garden. The night was a little chilly but I liked it, the stars were out and it was very quiet. I sat on the chair and realized I haven’t touched my phone all day. I chuckle at the thought because that’s very unlike me. So I got a hold of my phone which was in my back pocket and I started to scroll through my feed. 

There wasn’t really much but I do have a lot of notification in my KAKAOTALK so I decided to go and see the messages I had. I decided to check in the Group Chat where the people from the next dorm were in as well. As usual, we all had our Nicknames. 

**Nayeon:** **_Bunny_ **

**Jeongyeon:** **_The Unfunny one_ **

**Momo:** **_Made in Japan_ **

**Sana:** **_Sanaconda_ **

**Jihyo:** **_Thomas_ **

**Mina:** **_Sharon_ **

**Dahyun:** **_Dubu on the beat_ **

**Chaeyoung: Shorty**

**Tzuyu: The Tol one**

[KAKAOTALK]

The Unfunny one: What’s up peasants? How’s your Chuseok going?

Dubu on the Beat: As usual, boring. But atleast I get to see the fam. 

Sanaconda: I’m spending my Chuseok with Jihyo’s Family. 

The tol one: Are you having fun with the Park family? 

Sanaconda: It’s the other way around.

Made in Japan: So you’re not having a good time?

Sanaconda: No, the Park Family is having fun with me around lol

Bunny: Mina and Momo are also having the time of their lives at my place lol

The Unfunny one: So the three of them didn’t fly back to Japan?

Made in Japan: Duh? 

Sharon: Hahahahahaha. You really had to ask?

Sanaconda: Catch up will you, Jeongyeon unnie? lol

The Tol one: I was the only one who flew home. I missed Taiwan

Shorty: Have fun and stay safe in Taiwan, Tzuyu-ah! 

As I read and replied to the thread, I couldn’t help but smile. Sure, it’s been only a day but I sure do miss these crackheads. I honestly hope they’re doing fine, especially Tzuyu who’s very far away from us.

[KAKAOTALK]

Made in Japan: Yah! Son Chaeyoung! 

Shorty: Yes, Unnie? 

Made in Japan: We haven’t heard from you the whole day. What’s up?

The Tol one: Definitely not her height lol

Dubu on the Beat: BURNEDDD!! 

Bunny: That’s mean lol

The Unfunny one: Enjoy your Holiday, Chaeyoung-ah! 

  
  


I closed my phone and put it inside my back pocket. As I look up at the sky, I feel my eyes start to feel heavy, so I decided to close them and relax for a bit. I mean, it’s not everyday that I get to spend my time here in my family’s porch, right? Closing my eyes, I feel the cold wind breeze on my arms which made me open my eyes. 

Though I have a fairly good amount of me-time back in the dormitory, I don’t get to do this since we don’t have anything in our yard. Maybe I should buy a chair for our yard so I can enjoy nights like this there. 

As I try to relax myself, I suddenly remember everything from last night and I just feel myself crumble again. It was nice that Dahyun was there when I needed her the most. It’s nice, really. I got to spend time with her, talk to her, banter with her, and just not just spend the night alone. It felt good to have someone beside you when you need company.

But, last night, I just felt so awful thinking that Mina might’ve avoided me. She might have not really had something important to do, but instead she just avoided me. I don’t know, I might just be overthinking. But I can’t help it, can I? 

One time she’s super nice to me, and then the next time she’s so indifferent, and then she’s mad at me, and then the next time she’d made promises she couldn’t keep. I know I sound like a kid complaining about minor inconveniences in her life. But can I help it? Even though how many times I tell myself not to feel bad, I always end up feeling like shit just by thinking of her. 

  
  


_Mina, she made me feel so confused._

  
  


Though Mina may seem quite calm on the exterior, once you get to know her, it’s somehow tiresome to keep up with her antics. No, her antics are not at all obvious, but based on what I have observed, she tends to act hot and then she suddenly becomes cold the next minute. It’s so fucking frustrating. 

To be honest, I don't even know why I like her. I don’t usually like people who confuse me. I don’t want to deal with people who make me think too much. I hate the frustration. But with her, I don’t know why but it seems like I’m okay with whatever shit she’s put me through. It’s weird, because I’m not like this. I’m not at all patient. But with her, I seem to be willing to be treated like this, for now. 

At this point, I should at least be a little mad at her. She practically kissed me and then denied everything the next morning, made me her slave by always having me take care of her when she’s drunk, her accusing me of seeing Min Woo because I want attention, and lastly when she ditched me. Last night was like the cherry on top of everything. Why can’t I at least feel a little hatred towards her? Why can’t I just distance myself? 

  
  


_My mom did not raise me to be just hurt by some fairly attractive woman. I fucking hate myself._

  
  


“What are you thinking of?” I hear my mom ask me. I turn around and see her carrying a tray with tea. I immediately stand up and help her. 

“Nothing much, mom.” I smile at her as I have a seat and so does she. We’re seated beside each other. I just look at the sky and try to not think about anything that’s related to Mina. 

“Nothing much? You can’t be sitting out here and not think of anything!” She chuckles, then she hands me a cup of Citron tea. I accept it and smile at her, the tea smells good. She just looks at me, as if trying to understand what’s going on inside my head.

“The tea is lovely, mom.” I smile at her as I take a sip. I placed the cup down on the tray and noticed that she’s still staring. I snicker at how silly she looked. “Mom, what is it?” I laugh at her. She’s like a kid. 

“Mom just missed you so much.” She smiled as she reached for my cheek, she then caressed it and I just smiled at her. 

“You think I’m still a baby, huh?” I ask her. She just nods and I just shake my head. I mean, yeah I am small but that doesn’t mean I’m still a kid. I just look up at the sky and sigh. “Mom, I know I’ll always be a kid in you and dad’s eyes.” 

“Good thing you understand that.” She replies as she reaches out for her cup of tea.

“Of course I do.” I turn my gaze to her, I then lean my head against the chair’s headrest. “But Mom, you also have to understand that I’m all grown now.” I add.

“Of course I know that.” She smiles at me as she sets her cup of tea down. She then got into a comfortable sitting position and faced me. “Mom knows everything about you, Chaeyoung-ah.” She smiled as she patted my head. 

I just smile back. Though I know what she said wasn’t true. She doesn’t know everything about me and I’m thankful that she’s clueless about some parts of me. I’m afraid I might disappoint her if I tell her who I really am. I don’t want to hurt my family. It might not be easy for my family to accept who I am. I do not want to make them feel like shit. I don’t want to be selfish. 

“But of course, that’s not true.” She smiles.

“What?” I suddenly blurted out. 

“What I meant was, there is a limit to what I know about you and Jeonghoon.” She smiles. I just nodded at her, since what she said was true. She doesn’t know everything about us, though she knows quite a good amount of information, there are still some things I like to keep to myself. 

I know my mom, she would stall the conversation if she wants to know something. She wouldn’t directly ask me things, but she’d rather want me to do all the work for her.

“Are you curious about something, mom?” I ask her. I see a small smile form in the corners of her mouth. I was right. She quickly faced me like an excited child. 

“Mom wants to know…” She trails off. “Is our Chaengie dating someone now?” She had the widest grin when she asked me. I just smile at her and shake my head. Her question tugged at my heartstring a little. My mom probably just wants me to have fun and start doing things people my age usually do.

“Mom, do you really want me to start dating that bad?” I ask her. 

“Of course! Mom wants you to have fun.” She smiles as she leaned in to pat the top of my head endearingly. 

“Mom, I don’t think people like me should date.” I tell her, giving her all my honesty. Though I know she wouldn’t understand what I meant, I'm ready for her to ask me a follow-up question. 

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” She sighs. I just look at her and shrug. What am I supposed to tell her? 

  
  


_Mom, your only daughter is also into girls. So what’s for breakfast tomorrow? Jesus, if it were that easy I would’ve come out of the closet ages ago._

  
  


“It’s difficult for people like me to date.” I tell her, hoping that she’d just get more confused and stop asking questions. 

“Why? Is it because of the academics? Are you pressured?” She asks me. I just stare at her.

“Well, you could say I’m pressured.” I smile at her. She stares at me, I can see she's doing her best to understand what I was saying. 

“Katarina.” She calls out to me. She sounded very serious. 

“Mom! You promised you’d stop calling me that ages ago!” I pout at her in frustration. She just smiles, she then looked down at the grass. I feel the mood has changed into a serious one. 

“Do you want to tell me something?” She asks me. 

The question made me stiff. For so many reasons, the question was just the right question for my Mom to ask me. What she asked me could open something to our relationship as mother and daughter. It’s either she disowns me or she’d just end up tolerating me. Honestly, so many thoughts were inside my head. I felt overwhelmed. 

“I’ve wanted to tell you many things but I figured out I couldn’t.” I answer her. She just gave me this look, it seemed like she was telling me ‘Óh, try me’. I just shake my head, frustrated at how difficult it is for me to go on with this exchange. 

“Tell me, I might be able to help.” She replies. 

  
  


I find it funny how clueless my mom is right now. She thinks she can help me? I think not. I just snicker at her, she’s so clueless with what’s going on inside my head right now. She gave me this look, her face implied that she’s bored of waiting for me to say something.

  
  


“Well? Are you going to tell me or not?” She asks me, her tone has increasingly become higher. I just stare at her, hoping that she wouldn’t jump out of her seat.

“Mom, do you think I should date?” I asked her again, this time she just stared at me. Her eyes, they were trying to understand what I was saying.

“If you find the person you like, then yes.” She calmly replies.

“Mom, I already have a person that I like.” I tell her. She just stared, I couldn’t read her expression. I feel my feet and hands become increasingly colder. I feel scared.

“Really? Do you want to date that person?” She asked me.

“More than anything in this world, Mom.” I admit to her. She just nods her head.

“What’s stopping you?” She asks.

I just stare at her, I feel my heart beat increase up to a thousand beats per minute. My face, it feels hot and so does my ears. She’s asked the question that will out me. I just sigh, feeling a little anxious with what I was about to say. She’s still waiting for my response. 

“She’s a girl.” I tell her, I feel myself crumble slowly. I just stare at her, waiting for her to cry, slap me, or curse me. I just stared at her, she had this blank stare. It’s as if she’s still trying to process whatever I just said. 

“Wait, that’s it?” She replies nonchalantly. 

I just stare at her, with my eyes wide open. Have you ever anticipated something so big about a certain situation and when it actually happens and it’s less than what you expected you get disappointed? 

  
  


_All I’m saying is, can’t she give me a little more reaction than that?_

  
  


“Mom, I just said I’m into girls.” I mumble under my breath. She just stared at me.

“Yeah and I’m glad you finally said it.” She says this in a mocking tone.

“Wait, you knew?” I ask her, my tone slightly higher than it should be.

“I mean, excuse me for my language but you were pretty shit at hiding during dates with THAT girl.” She replies in a serious tone.

“WHAT? You knew? You knew about Me and Dahyun?” I throw my hands up in frustration. 

“Ah, so that’s her name. Miss Snow white’s name is Dahyun.” She smiled at me. 

I just stare at her. This is unbelievable. So all this time, I was getting worked up over nothing. All these years, I worried over nothing. Fuck, I was so scared and frightened that she’d react differently. I just stare at her, unable to say words I needed to say. I just stare at her and I feel my eyes sting, tears started to fall down my face. I was crying. I just look down, trying to hide my face. 

“Chaeyoung-ah, it’s okay.” She pats my head while I look down and try to hide the fact that I’m ugly crying. “I never envisioned that my daughter would one day grow up and be into girls.” She adds.

“But honestly, that’s fine too.” Her voice sounded cheerful. “Look, life isn’t going to be easy for you.” 

I just look up, with my eyes all glazed with my own tears. “I know, I’ve known for a very long time that it won’t be easy.” I tell her. 

“But it’s better to go through something difficult while loving what you do, right?” She asks. I just look at her, my mouth all pouty. 

“No matter how difficult it gets, always remember that we're here for you.” She smiles as she reaches out to caress my cheeks, my tears, they seem to not want to stop from falling. 

“Wait, even dad knows?” I ask her. She just chuckles.

“He’s the one you caught you on a date with that girl. Dahyun, right?” She laughs as she remembers. My jaw just dropped. I couldn’t believe it, all along they knew and they didn’t even try to force me to admit. 

“Mom, are you disappointed in me?” I ask her.

“No. Why would I be? You’ve been a wonderful daughter to us.” She smiles. I just nod as I feel this mixture of overwhelming joy, anxiousness, and relief take over me. She pats the top of my head once more, trying to comfort me. “Anyway, when are you going to let us meet Dahyun?” She asked, her voice cheerful. 

“I uh…” I trail off. “Dahyun and I aren’t a thing anymore, mom.”I smiled at her. She had this look on her face, she wasn’t taken aback but she seemed curious. 

“So, it’s a new girl. When are you going to ask the new girl out?” She asked spontaneously. 

I just stare at her and I shake my head. Everything just feels so light and weird right now. Honestly, I don’t even know what to say. 

“The new girl? I don’t know if I ever will.” I tell her honestly. She just shook her head. 

“Well, next time you visit here, you should bring that girl over.” She says this so casually I almost fell off of my seat. I just stare, obviously shaken with what I just heard. 

“Eh?” was all I could get out of me.

“Yeah. Go get her, tiger.” She winked at me. I swear to god I almost lost it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, how was the update? I hope you guys had fun reading. Anyway, don't forget to comment down below. Your comments inspire me to write more. Anyway, if you have questions about the next update please don't hesitate to DM me on twitter at @onlylookatcub. Thank you!


	15. BLT sandwich is the New Truth Serum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, my dumb ass forgot to update. If it weren't for one of my followers asking when I'd update, I would not have thought about it. Thank you, JEONGMICHAENG! Our city is on lockdown anyway so everything's chaotic around here. Please enjoy!

**Yoo Jeongyeon’s POV**

The wind chimes on the bakery’s door would make a noise either when a customer leaves or enters. As per usual, the bakery is moderately busy. I usually work after classes, I do this in order to put my studies first and also gain a little extra income for school. Though my parents are more than happy to provide for me, I just took the initiative to apply for a part-time job. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra income, right? 

Tonight though, I decided to work overtime. Not that much overtime but I just exceeded my usual schedule. It’s because one of my co-workers had to do something and she doesn’t have someone to cover for her. I then realized that I have a little extra time to waste so why not just do the overtime? The pay would be really nice. 

  
  


_Money is the key._

  
  


I grab the dish towel and start cleaning the kitchen sink. I wash it with soap first and then rinse the towel. I scrub every inch of the sink, making sure that I actually do my job well. Scrubbing the sink was fine but the real challenge was cleaning the sink counter. Beverages and food were placed there just before they were served to the customers. It made me feel horrible if the customers got to eat dirty food. I mean, if I were a customer too at some shope, I wouldn’t want to eat something dirty. 

After cleaning, I wash my hands and feel a relief wash over me. I’m sure that’s the last time that I’ll be cleaning that place today. I then look at my watch and see it’s already 11:40 pm. Nice, only twenty minutes to go until my shift’s over. Now, I just have to hope that nobody fucks the kitchen up or nobody messes in the Bakery. But of course, I could only hope. People in this area do not know how to act. They’re all messy as hell and I can’t even do anything about it because that’s my job. Why did I decide to clean tables and the kitchen counter and sink for an extra allowance? 

  
  


_I guess I just have to suffer._

  
  


I need to walk outside of the kitchen in order to check whether someone has messed up, spilled something, or just need napkins or whatever. Outside, there weren’t that many customers. The place was almost quiet and I have to admit that I liked it better this way because that meant I had to clean less tables and deal with less annoying people. 

  
  


_Fun, right?_

  
  


I just stood there, waiting for the cashier to ask for assistance or a customer ask me where the condiments were. That’s what I do, assist people. I don’t mind, as long as I get paid, I won’t complain. As I was standing there, I accidentally made eye contact with the cashier. She seemed tired, I mean, we’re all tired. I just give her the ‘you need something?’ look. She nodded so I just walked over to her.

“I need to pee. Cover for me, I’ll be back in a jiffy.” She whispered as she skedaddled her way out of the spot. I then slipped myself inside the cubicle . As per usual, there wasn’t much action for me because peak hours were over a while ago. So of course, I just had to stand there and hope that I actually do something. 

As I just stood there, with my gaze downcast because I had nothing else to do, I heard the wind chime ding after a very long time. I expected that someone decided to leave. So I lift my head up to of course, to greet them a good night because that’s what good employees do. However, instead of seeing someone leave, another customer actually came in so I had no choice but to put on a smile and greet them with my warmest welcome.

“Hello ma’am, may I take your order?” I ask her with the biggest smile on my face.

“Tone it down, Yoo Jeongyeon. You’re scaring me.” She laughs and her two front teeth are exposed. I just stare at her, what the hell does she want from me right now?

“Oh? If it isn’t it our Nayeon-shi? What brings you here?” My co-worker who apparently came back from the comfort room greets Nayeon.

“Well, you know, I came here to see Jeongyeon.” She smiles. My co-worker then signals me to get out of the cubicle, so I did. I just stare at them, I have to admit I’m a little weirder out by their interaction. 

“You guys know each other?” I ask them, confused.

“She visits you so often, of course I know her!” My coworker smiles at Nayeon. Nayeon just gave me this look, as if she’s satisfied that my co-worker adores her. Can she be any more narcissistic? “You need to talk to her?” she asks Nayeon.

“Would that be okay though?” Nayeon asks her back. I see my co-worker check her watch.

“Her shift will be over in ten minutes. Would it be okay for you to wait?” She asks. I see Nayeon nod, like a kid. She gave my Coworker a thumbs up and she just walked over to the nearest seat. 

“Yoo Jeongyeon, give her this. Tell her it’s on the house.” My coworker grabs a cookie and puts it on a plate. I just nod at her and bring the pate over to Nayeon. 

“Are those for me?” She asks me when I placed the cookie on the table. 

“No, they’re for me. I placed it in here so I can eat it in front of you.” I reply sarcastically. She just gave me this look, she wanted to smack me. I can tell. “Anyway, just wait here. I’ll get my things ready. I won’t be long.” I add.

I walked back to the kitchen where our lockers were located. I had five minutes left before my shift was over. I was just kind of just stalling time. I grab my bag and when the clock strikes midnight, I do my time-stamp and go outside. As expected, Nayeon was there, still waiting for me but this time she’s already standing. She was smiling, like a kid, I smiled at her too. She doesn’t give up, does she?

“Let’s go?” I asked her, holding my bag in my left hand. 

“Yeah.” She nodded. Before we went our way, she turned her gaze to my coworker and smiled. “Thanks for the cookie, Arin! See you next time!” She waved her hands and we got out of there.

  
  


_Does she think she’s South Korea’s National best friend?_

These past few days have been challenging both physically and mentally for Nayeon. I feel like shit seeing her suddenly become quiet and then not functioning for hours just because of that guy. Jung Minwoo. That motherfucker. I wanted to choke him. I was right, the minute I laid my eyes on him I knew he was up to no-good. I just never expected the severity of that Monster’s actions. Thinking about it made me furious. I fucking loathed that guy. He even used Chaeyoung to get closer to Nayeon, what a fucking piece of shit. He played us like we were toys. But not now. 

  
  


_Now we’ve got our guards up, we’ll protect each other._

  
  


“Have you had dinner?” Nayeon asks me out of the blue. I turned my gaze to her, she held her hand together as she waited for my answer. I just shook my head, since I actually hadn’t eaten yet. “Yeah? Me too. Come on, I know a pretty good sandwich shop nearby. Their BLT sandwich is really good.” Nayeon grabs my hand as she leads me to wherever that sandwich shop is. 

She was right, it was pretty nearby. It was just a block away and I couldn't believe I haven’t heard of this place before. We ordered our food, good thing the shop wasn’t at all busy that’s why our orders were ready pretty quickly. We then chose an empty spot where benches were available. It’s a good thing, people weren’t that much around this time of night. The night was chilly, the stars were out, and of course the food was great. It’s nice to actually take a break and just chill out for a bit. 

“Yah, you really had to work overtime tonight?” Speaks Nayeon, she hasn’t spoken a word since we sat on the benches. 

“Yeah, why not? I get paid if I work overtime.” I tell her as I take another note of the sandwich she just bought me. I stare at her, she squints her eyes in frustration. 

“It’s not like you’re not provided an allowance by your parents or something.” She rolls her eyes at me. I just shake my head, who cares? 

  
  


_Any money is good money._

  
  


“Anyway, why’d you still visit me? You know, you shouldn’t be wandering around because of that jerk.” I couldn’t control my tone when the image of that guy entered my head. I’m steaming, I fucking hate him. She just stared at me and she smiled. 

I for one, do not understand how she still can smile when her life's in danger. Some lunatic is after her and she still manages to smile and live her life like nothing is going on. 

“Jihyo dropped me off, stupid.” She gave me this mocking look. 

“Is that so? Good thing then.” I replied flatly. What was I supposed to say? There wasn’t really anything that we should be talking about, is there? For the next few moments, an awkward silence followed. I felt awful, I didn't know how to break the ice. 

I haven’t been alone with her since that night at the bar. I just look up at the sky and bask in the cold evening air. 

“I don’t see you at Konkuk that often anymore.” She finally breaks the ice. I turn my gaze to her and to my surprise she’s looking at me, directly. She looked serious. I just gulped, feeling my anxiousness grow as I spent more time with her. 

  
  


_Please stop staring._

  
  


“What? At the University?” I laugh, I couldn’t hide the nervousness in my voice. She’s staring at me, her gaze, it’s different. She’s different, we’ve become different towards each other. “Uh, well, you know, I’m busy.” I chuckle, looking away. I couldn’t look at her directly, not this time. 

  
  


_I swear to god, Yoo Jeongyeon. Get it together man._

  
  


“Lies.” She mumbled, her voice sounded weak. I couldn’t help but turn my gaze to her. “We used to walk together to school, liar.” she sounded disappointed but I just nod my head, trying to show her that I’m actually listening. 

“We did, we just became busy that’s all.” I tried to explain our situation. It’s true, we don’t have that much time. What can I do when working and school work is eating all my time? I can’t possibly walk with her to school that often, can I? 

“Maybe.” She replies. “But i just keep getting this feeling.” She finishes her sentence. I just stared at her, her cheeks flushed probably because of the cold night air. She tucked her loose hair behind her ear.

“What?” I ask her, I was genuinely curious with whatever she has in mind. Sometimes I feel as if I couldn’t really ready her anymore. I used to be really good at telling how she felt, but now, it’s different. 

  
  


_Something has changed_

  
  


“I feel like you’re avoiding me.” Says the girl. 

I feel myself crumble from the inside, this terrible feeling I’ve had for months now has peaked. I just stare at her, I try not to react. I want to pretend I do not understand what she’s talking about. I’m afraid, I’m just afraid of what’s going to happen next if I show any slight understanding of what she’s saying. I’ve been doing my best to avoid having this conversation, but I guess I have to face this one way or the other. 

  
  


_All of this, it’s making me break inside._

  
  
  


“Have I been avoiding you?” I ask her as I crumple the wax paper that held my non-existent sandwich. I hold on to it, feeling my nails dig into the lower part of my palm. It was slightly painful, my nails digging. But I want it, I want to feel the pain. I deserve it. “I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” I tell her, trying to convince her that I am clueless even though I am clearly not. 

Im Nayeon, was seated beside me. There was barely any space between us. Because of this, I keep on looking away. The distance or the lack thereof, made me feel very uncomfortable. It made me feel hot, I hated it. 

  
  


I can feel her beside me, she’s been quiet after my denial. I hope she just lets this go. 

  
  


“Do you still remember that night at the bar?” She asks me bluntly. I feel like she’s just cornered me, not giving me any chance to lie. But I’ll lie and deny as long as I can, if that’s the only way for all of this to die down.

“Who wouldn’t?” I reply as I stare into her eyes, I just myself getting weaker by the minute. She perked up, her eyes wide. I do not want to break this woman. 

“You do?” She sounded hopeful.

“Of course, that was the day Jung Minwoo cornered and harassed you.” I lie, feeling this sense of relief.I hope I’ve delivered my stupid swerving game flawlessly. When I replied, I saw it in her eyes that she crumbled, her eyes were hopeful seconds ago. But now? She looked beaten.I knew that what I answered wasn’t what she expected. 

“Oh.” I hear her snicker. “That wasn’t what I had in mind but that’s also correct.” She forces a smile. I just looked at her blankly, I felt horrible lying to her. I felt this numbing pain in my chest, it felt awful that I had to play her like this. 

“But that’s not why I came to see you tonight.” Says Nayeon. 

I froze, she’s never been this assertive before. Though she may come off as childish, she’s sensible most of the time. She knows when to joke around, when to tease you, and when to stop. Tonight, she’s not going to stop. She wants to get to the very bottom of everything. 

  
  
  


_Maybe it’s time we talk._

  
  
  


“Why’d you see me then?” I chuckle, trying to lighten the mood even though there’s no going back. The mood’s been destroyed moments ago. 

“Why are you avoiding me, Yoo Jeongyeon?” She asks me blatantly. I just had to breathe and take a step back, she’s being assertive. I’ve never seen this side of her, it frightens me. 

“I am not.” I answered her. “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked her, feeling my face becoming increasingly hot. 

“What the fuck?” She snickers, but the kind that I know she’s annoyed. “This is the first time we even talked after that night at the bar and you’re acting like you don’t know shit?” She asks me. I just stare at her, my eyes wide and my anxiety levels off the roof.

“I really don’t…” I trail off, not really sure why I still keep on denying everything. 

“Fuck you, okay? Fuck you, you coward.” I just freeze at what she says, not because I was mad or offended, but because tears were already falling off of her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and I can tell from the looks of it, she’s hurt. I wanted to tell her how I am badly hurting too, but I can’t. I shouldn’t. 

  
  


_I am hurt too. You’re not the only one hurting, Im Nayeon._

  
  


“You really think I’d forget that night?” I asked her, I was welling up in emotions and I know I couldn’t hold it any longer. If she thinks she’s the only one suffering, well, she's wrong. “I remember everything, every little detail.” I add. 

“How the hell am I supposed to know if you act like you have amnesia, you bird brain.” She spats at me, tears still falling from her face. I just reach for my backpocket and lend her my handkerchief. 

I just stare at her as she wipes her tears away, I don’t want to say anything more. It’s as if talking will only make things worse. It’s like putting salt on a freshly opened wound, it’s not a very good idea. 

“You really think pretending like I don’t exist will make things better?” She asked me again. 

I am guilty. I did try to not recognize her existence after that night at the bar, but can anyone blame me? I was taken aback, I was scared, and most importantly I didn’t know what to do. I was clueless as to how I was supposed to address this, I’ve never had a girl kiss me before. Let alone my best friend kiss me on the lips before. I was terrified. I wish she would just understand. 

“You reciprocated everything I did. Stop blaming me because we did this together, fuck you too Im Nayeon.” I finally tell her through gritted teeth. Though I knew cursing her was unnecessary. 

She stands up, her fists closed. She’s furious, I can tell. She’s always like this whenever she’s frustrated about something. I hear her sigh, a loud one. I just stare at her, her back is facing me. I do not know what to do. 

“Will you at least say something about that night.” She whispers, I was looking down at the concrete floor. I fiddle with my shoes, I have no idea how to put what I feel in words. I just, I’m shit at expressing what I feel. 

“I have thought about that night over and over.” I start, while still standing there, her back facing me. I wished she at least would look at me as I tell her my thoughts, but I guess doing so might make me soft. I do not want that.

“Before I sleep, that image would creep up my head.” I tell her honestly, good thing I do not have to look at her. “Every waking moment, I’d wonder how that happened. I always ask myself why I never noticed that you thought of me that way.” I smiled as the truth finally came out of my mouth. 

“Maybe you were always that good at hiding what you really feel.” I tell her. I finally decide to stand up, walk up to face her and see that she’s a little more pacified now. I smile at her. 

“I do not think admitting your feelings were wrong.” I tell her honestly, because it’s true. That’s a brave thing someone could do. “I was just a little shaken when you kissed me.” I chuckle as I directly look into her eyes. I see her smile, at least now she’s a little calmed down. 

“You said many things that I appreciate.” She starts. “But I’ve got only one thing in my mind.” She adds.

I just stare at her, I know what she's going to ask next. In all honesty, I do not have the heart to answer that question. I’m just so scared, scared of what might happen if we go there. I look at her and all I feel is tenderness, this lovely feeling that I never thought I could ever feel towards a person. But, there’s just so much at stake. I cannot take the risk. 

  
  
  


_Please don’t be flippant about what might happen to us._

  
  
  


“Do you feel the same way?” She asks, blatantly. I know, I know she’s not here for bullshit. She needs answers. The tears in her eyes have now dried up, but I know this night will not end that easily. “Yoo Jeongyeon, I like you. I have, for the longest time now.” She declares, I feel my airways close up. I never knew it would be this intense.

“Do you perhaps like me too?” She asks me, for good measure. I just stare at her, my insides frozen because of fear. So many thoughts creep up inside my head, I cannot stand this. 

“Im Nayeon.” I call her attention, making her look at me. I just smile at her weakly, one part of me wants to run away and the other part of me is telling me to face whatever it is that’s in front of me. I choose the middle ground of both my thoughts. 

“I wish we could just forget everything about that night.” I tell her.

She looked calm when I said this, which scared me even more. I do not mind Nayeon crying like a baby. I do not mind her shouting. I do not mind her being childish and a total pain in the ass. I’m used to her being like a kid now, I’ve endured this much and I’m not flustered at the slightest. But, now that she’s become quiet, I do not know how to react. I feel like I just want to shut down too. I just stared at her, I waited for her to react, but I got nothing. 

“Please don’t be like this.” I place my hand on her shoulder. This is the first contact we’ve had in months. I missed her, I do. She’s my best friend, I do not want to lose her. She just looked at me blankly, no tears fell. She just breathed, like a stone. She looked like a statue. She finally stared at me, her eyes were blank. For the first time in years, I couldn’t read her. I couldn’t read Im Nayeon, completely. It made me scared.

“I see.” She smiles and then she just nods, I felt this sharp stabbing pain in my chest. I wanted to pull her close and give her the warmest hug, but I do not want to confuse her even more. 

She then slowly walked away. This made me confused, what the hell is she doing? What’s going on inside her head? I just observed her and realized that she really is walking away, so of course I ran up to her but not too close. I just stay behind her, looking after her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I ask her, still following her closely behind. She’s just walking, like a child that she is. 

“Home.” replies flatly. I just nod, I can’t really say anything else. 

Our dormitories were close, it didn’t really take us more than fifteen minutes to reach the dorm if we traveled by foot. But that night, walking home felt awful. The walk felt like an eternity, it was all my fault, I know. 

Im Nayeon walked like the streets of Seoul were hers, but it was okay. I was there to look after her, I was just behind her. I was ready to protect her at all cost. I felt like shit for not talking as I trailed behind her, but I felt it was for the best. I just observed her and no words came out of our mouths. The silence was bearable because of the walk, but inside I feel like I’ve been stabbed millions of times. 

As we arrived at our dorms, she just kept on going. She went straight in by opening the gate and leaving it wide open. Ofcourse, I see this and I hurriedly run inside their lawn to close the gate. I still see her walking lifelessly across the lawn, and now she’s reached their front door I am afraid that she might leave it wide open as well. So I trail behind her again until she gets inside and as expected, she left the door wide open. I decided to get inside and close the door behind me. 

Inside, Sana was in the living room watching the television. She looked surprised. Nayeon just walked straight to her room without a word, closing the door behind her like we didn’t exist. The image made my heart ache. Sana stood up, with a surprised look on her face. She just stared at me. 

“Did something happen?” Sana asks me. I just nod my head, not sure how to phrase my concerns to her. 

“Well…” I smile at her, wearily. “She’s home now.” I tell her and I just see Sana nod. I turned around and was about to walk to my dorm but remember something. “Check on her for me, will you?” I ask Sana. She just nodded and then I decided to walk back to my dorm. 

Walking back to my dorm, it felt like my feet weren’t where they were supposed to be. The walk felt like I wasn’t on earth. As if I was in another realm. I feel my steps have become heavy. I felt heavy, everything just felt heavy and I couldn't stop myself from sighing. I made sure the gate and front door was locked. I went straight to my room and I just plopped on my bed. I feel like shit, I said things that I didn’t mean and I hate the fact that I hurt Im Nayeon of all people. I’m a piece of shit. That night, I fell asleep crying. 

**Im Nayeon’s POV**

For comfort, all I can do is pull my pillow closer to my body and hug it. It’s sad how I seek comfort from such an inanimate object. Have I sunk this low already? How could I possibly let myself become this low. I don’t just feel stupid, I feel ashamed. Why the hell did I have to make myself sink lower than I’ve even sunk before? 

Every time I try to move, I hear my bedsheets rustle. Though I try to drown out the sound of my sobs by hugging my pillow, it feels like it’s no use. Fuck it, I throw my pillow across the room and just curl into a ball. I sigh, what have I done? What’s happening to me? How can I be so careless? 

  
  
  


_Of all people, why Yoo Jeongyeon? She’s not even that hot for fuck’s sake._

  
  
  


I sit straight up. I don’t know why but I started to wail, an ugly cry that could’ve possibly been heard inside the dorm. I know, if someone sees me doing this shit they’d make fun of me. I mean, if I see myself ugly crying I’d laugh at myself too. But I can’t help it, can I? I mean, this is me. I cry easily. 

As I continue to wallow in my comically agonizing sadness, I see my door knob turn and it spat out a comfortable looking Minatozaki Sana. She wore pajamas and her hair was tied. I just stare at her, pouting because apparently that's what sad people do. I just stared, she slid inside my room like the snake that she is. She puts her index finger over her mouth and signals me to quiet down. 

“What’s going on here?” Sana says in a hushed voice as she closed the door behind her. She had this look on her face that suggested she’s taken aback, her eyes were wide and she held my chin on her hand. She then leaned in and she had this terrified look on her face. “Oh, my god! What happened to your makeup unnie?” She cries with me. I started crying even harder too.

“Oh my gosh, and I forgot about the makeup!” I cry hysterically, Sana pouts and pulls me to a hug. I just cry on her shoulders letting myself be vulnerable just for tonight. I am very aware that we both look like we’re in a comical skit right now, but I don’t give a damn anymore. 

“I can’t believe I put on makeup just to be dumped!” I announce in a muffled voice. Sana quickly pulls away from me and she had this look on her face, she’s wide-eyed, confused probably. She’s never heard a juicy gossip from me until now, so I understand her reaction.

“Dumped?” She asked, she’s holding onto both my arms, she’s looking directly into my eyes. “By who, exactly?” She asks. 

I just look at her, my ability to shed tears has faded. I just stared at her, I was too tired to even hide anything anymore. I’m not in the mood to lie ! I sigh and just look down. “Yoo Jeongyeon.” I answer her directly, without any filter. She deserved the truth, she’s my friend.

Her grip loosened, and I just pouted. I was ready for all the questions and all the probing she’s going to do. But Sana just hugged me, her hands going in circles on my back. She’s trying to comfort me and that’s all I need right now. 

“Unnie…” I hear her gently trail off.

“Hmmm?” I respond, my eyes kind of hurt from all the crying. My head is starting to hurt bad too. I just sigh heavily, still holding onto Sana. 

“I never thought you were into that stuff.” She said. I didn’t understand her. 

“What stuff?” I ask her, almost too comically too.

“You know, pussy.” She replies casually that I just had to pull away and start laughing. I stared at her, she can take the tension just like that. She’s that good, that’s her talent. Comforting people. 

“Apparently I am.” I laugh. “And I never expected to hurt like this because I’m into girls.” I groan and just plop on my bed. I stared at Sana and she just smiled at me. 

“I never knew you had the hots for Jeongyeon unnie.” She starts.

“Surprise!” I throw my hands up sarcastically. She gave me this look, she wants me to be serious. I just sigh, and I feel my heart sink again. “Yeah, I got dumped. It fucking hurts. I feel like shit and I just want to punch myself in the face.” I blabber on.

“You know, before you go and abuse yourself…” She trails off.

“What?” I interrupt.

“It’s the thought that counts, unnie.” She says. I just stare at her, what an odd thing to say.

“What is this, gift giving?” I reply almost sarcastically too. This ain’t gift giving, is it? What’s she talking about? 

“No.” She chuckles.

“Cause you know, my confession isn’t a gift.” I tell her, cause it isn’t. 

“What is it then?” She asks back. 

“It’s a revelation.” I reply, becoming a lot less bad the more I talk to this angel in front of me. Talking to Sana, it's very therapeutic. 

“Are you a prophet or something?” She laughs, like the pabo that she is. I laugh with her, feeling my mood lighten a little. Just a little.

“Well, being a prophet is better than being dumped.” I tell her. 

She just stared, she’s probably thinking of what to say next. But I guess she just gave up because she just plopped next to me, she then grabbed my arm and hugged it. 

“Don’t you think it’s wonderful?” She asked me, still hugging my arm.

“What is?” I ask her.

“That you’ve finally told her whatever you feel.” She replies. 

“I wish I could’ve just tapped my mouth shut.” I tell her the truth. 

“You guys are still friends, right?” She asks me.

“Well, it sounded like she wants us to stay friends.” I reply. 

“Then give her what she wants.” Replies Sana. “Give her what she wants and act like nothing ever happened tonight.” She smiled.

“How would that help me?” I ask her. 

“Oh, would you stop thinking about what you feel?” She scolds me. “At Least put yourself in her shoes.” Adds the Shiba-inu.

“Just treat her like before. Make things less awkward between you two.” Says Sana. 

“And forget everything?” I ask.

“Would you rather push yourself unto her and lose her in the process…” she trails off.

“You make it sound so horrible.” I interrupt. 

“Or pretend like nothing happened and you’d get to see her and hang out with you like before.” She continued. 

It all finally clicked. 

“Unnie, you already did the first step, let Jeongyeon unnie figure out what to do next.” She smiled at me. 

That’s when I realized that Sana is right. I don’t have to ask for more, because I’ve always had her. I do not want to lose her and I know she doesn’t want to lose me as well. I smiled back at Sana and hugged her tight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, don't forget to give me your thoughts and if you want to ask me for the updates, just DM me on twitter at @onlylookatcub. I will probably be updating more since there's nothing much to do around here. Thank you!


	16. How much madness is too much madness?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!

**Son Chaeyoung’s Point of View**

Spending Chuseok with my family turned out to be a good idea. Not only did I come out to my family unintentionally, I also got to catch up with them. Of course, coming out wasn’t something that I wanted to do. But it’s fine, things turned out pretty well so I guess I’m lucky like that. 

I’m currently just sitting on the sofa and just watching Tzuyu assemble something on the television. This made me a little curious. She just arrived a little while ago, what’s up with her being busy? 

“You just got back from Taiwan, right? You should rest.” I tell her, realizing that my concern for this giant has grown after the first few months of meeting her. She’s grown into me. She was still trying to install something on the television, and I couldn’t see whatever that she was installing. I just lay my head on the sofa, my eyes following her every movement. 

“I can rest later. I’ll just have to install this first.” She mumbled as she continued to fiddle with the cords. I just stared at her, as she continued to work. Shit, cords still exist? Aren’t cords supposed to be obsolete? Or am I the weird one? 

“What’s that?” I ask her as I try to sneak a peek with what she was trying to install. She turned her gaze to me, and just clapped her hands. I even jerked a little, too much coffee I guess? 

“All done!” She smiles, a smile of victory from the looks of it. “It’s a PS4. I just think it would be nice to have a game console here.” She smiles, I nod because I totally understand her point. Lately, the dorm’s been really quiet. Having a game console might actually help lighten up the mood in here. I just smile at her, she’s quite sensible. 

“That’s pretty expensive though.” I tell her, she just gave me this blank stare as if she doesn’t understand how money works, I try to sit properly. “Besides, Sony is going to release PS5 next year.” I try to reason with her. She just nodded, she knew what I meant. For sure, she’s thought of this. 

“I’ll buy the PS5 when it comes out.” She nonchalantly replies. “Besides, this isn’t for you. It’s for Mina unnie.” Still sitting on the floor, she looks past me. She’s smiling, Tzuyu looks like a million dollars whenever she smiles. Simply beautiful, to be honest. 

“Right, unnie?” Tzuyu smiles, as she stares at someone behind me. I then turned my head and saw Mina, her eyes bright at the sight of the game console. She then profusely nods her head, bobbing it up and down like a toy. I then turned my attention back to Tzuyu who’s now up. 

Just as I was about to say something, Tzuyu excuses herself. She wanted to go to the dorm next door and say hi to the unnies. Besides, Sana and Nayeon are in the dorm next door too. Tzuyu probably felt like Mina and I were the most boring ones in the bunch. Not that it offends me or anything, but whatever. 

Tzuyu leaving for the house next door meant I was stuck with Mina, unless she wanted to leave too then that would also be fine. The absence of my noisy dorm-mates meant that the dorm was in complete silence, I’m not exaggerating, the silence was deafening. It’s as if I can hear my own breathing.

“Hey, Chaeng Chaeng.” Mina says this softly as she takes the spot next to me on the sofa. I do not know whether it’s what she said or how she said it, but, I have to admit that I don’t mind her calling me whatever nickname. I face her, now a smile plastered on my face. A genuine one to say the least. “How’d your Chuseok go?” She asks, probably just not to make things seem awkward between us. 

“It went well.” It wasn’t what I expected but it was great nonetheless. I stare at her, I’m not sure when she got here, she probably got here first than me. “I assume you had fun with Nayeon and Momo, unnie?” I ask her, she just nods. An awkward silence followed, I wasn’t sure how to handle it. 

  
  


_ Now, Kiss. Fuck, no. Erase erase erase.  _

  
  


To be honest, I don’t know how to interact with her. The room was silent, and we just sat together with a significant amount of space between us. My palms were on my lap, and I couldn’t get more awkward. I slowly turned my gaze to her and amazingly she’s doing the same thing, I chuckle and I see her smile. That was enough to break the ice between us.

“I haven’t seen you in a while.” She smiles, looking at me. She was wearing cute pajamas, with her hair tied up. She looked ravishing even in her pajamas, I don’t even know why I’m thinking about such stuff. Pajamas? Ravishing? I think I’m going crazy. 

  
  


_ You look beautiful, I wanted to tell her that.  _

  
  


I just look at her, trying to take a mental picture of her for my memories. Click and done. 

  
  


_ MinaInHerPajamas.jpeg  _

  
  


“I mean, I haven’t seen you too so that makes two of us.” I tell her, smiling in the process. She looked at me, she looked like she was really listening to me. Because I am the nervous wreck that I am, I panicked. “Do I have dirt on my face?” I ask her, trying to cover my face in the process. She smiles and then she reaches for my hands, she slowly puts both my hands down. 

With this, I was taken a little aback. I’ve never been this close to her in a while and I just couldn’t help myself but just freeze. Even the act of simply breathing, I couldn’t do it because I fear that she might notice how tense I have gotten. 

“Chaeyoungie.” It might just be because I like her so much but hearing her call me that made my heart flutter. I couldn’t help but smile at her, I admit that I don’t know how to react to when it’s her. “Well, I want you to know I’m really sorry.” She sounded hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure where this will all end up. 

I then remembered what happened the night before Chuseok. Most of the time I try to ignore things that make me feel terrible, I just feel like doing so would make things easier for me. As much as possible, I don’t want to take negative things seriously. 

“Oh! Yeah, that night!” It felt like I was trying too hard to be cheerful. I don’t want to make her feel bad for ditching me. Does that even make sense? I don’t think anything makes sense at all. “Yeah, what was that?” Now I sound even more cheerful than I’m supposed to. I can’t be mad for shit when it’s her. I need to learn how to be mad. 

Mina had this look on her face, it’s as if she’s trying to figure me out. I just smile at her, trying to tell her that it’s okay. That she had nothing to worry about. 

Of course, I’m thinking, I’m a suckeer for her so of course, whatever she does is fine with me even though it would potentially physically or emotionally hurt me. I am disgustingly whipped for Myoui Mina. 

  
  


_ I hate myself for this.  _

  
  


“I feel so bad for not turning up, Chaeng Chaeng.” She rests her head on the sofa while still maintaining eye contact with me. I just stare at her, though I know doing so would only be bad for me. 

“I honestly have forgotten about it but here you are reminding me.” I lie to her. Of course, I haven’t forgotten about it. However, what good would it be if I told her that I was actually hurt? I’d rather not make a big deal about it. “Besides, I had a great time with Dahyun.” I blurted out. She was about to say something but she was taken aback, she just stared at me for a while. Of course, it wasn’t my intention to tell her anything about Dahyun but I guess it just happened. 

  
  


_ The words slipped out of my mouth.  _

“Kim Dahyun? You guys were together?” She asked, she sounded a little high-pitched.

“I was alone, unnie. How was I supposed to spend my night?” Words just kept on slipping out. She was still staring at me. This time, her eyes, they looked blank. 

  
  


_ Fuck, why did I say that? _

“Oh, is that so?” She sounded careful, tactful, as if she’s trying to measure how she must reply. 

“Of course, I called her right after you told me you weren’t coming.” I try to save our conversation. I don’t know why but I just feel the need to imply that there was nothing between me and Dahyun, I mean, not anymore. Not that she might care or anything, but I just wanted to establish that. “Is that a bad thing?” I ask her, trying to hear her side.

“No.” She shrugs, she had this indifferent look on her face. She just stared at me, her eyes, they somehow found a way to pierce through me. Her eyes were always sharp, which I always liked even though the sight is a little terrifying. “Do you maybe want to visit next door?” It felt like she’s trying to avoid having an alone time with me, not that it matters. 

When I look at her, thoughts fill my head. Of course, they’re clean thoughts. I'm not nasty. But anyway, I just look at her and think, is she really who she portrays she is? Is she really clueless with whatever is happening around her? Is she really forgetful? Or might she just be pretending? When I hang out with her I completely forget that we’ve done things friends don’t do. I still wonder, does she really not remember that night at Jihyo’s rest house? 

  
  


_ Maybe I’m the only one who’s caught up in all these feelings.  _

  
  


“Why? You hate spending time with me that much?” I ask her as a joke. I just don’t like being too serious around her. I love making her smile, she smiles so prettily that’s all. 

“No, I think spending time with you is the highlight of my day.” She replied nonchalantly. 

Hearing her say those words almost made me scream, but of course, I had to keep it in. My heart’s pace sped up and I felt as if both my ears and face were becoming hot. I wanted to reply something clever but I can’t seem to find the right words. I just froze with my head still resting on the sofa, I just stared at her blankly. 

“Spending time with everyone here is the highlight of my day.” She adds. 

Have you ever felt so uplifted to the point you want to scream out but then you get cockblocked the next minute? I let my feelings soar so high only for me to fall to the ground and be splattered, trampled on, and squeezed like the little shit that I am. Of course, she’s Myoui Mina. She doesn’t see me the way I see her. I should just quit while I’m at it. I need to insulate my heart, fuck. 

She stood up and she’s smiling, her eyes suddenly became nonexistent. “So, I want to visit next door. Come with me?” She asks and of course, like the dolt that I am, I agree because why not? 

Before we left our dorm, we made sure everything was locked. Both of us were wearing our pajamas since it’s almost bedtime, the night was especially cold due to what we were wearing. Of course, I can’t pass up this opportunity, right? As we walked, I made sure I was right next to her. She too, seemed cold so I slowly reached for her arm and I clung to it.

I do not know why I did that, but she too was completely taken aback. She just stared at me. “It’s kind of cold, unnie.” I whisper and I see her smirk, not smile, but smirk at me. Instead of getting away, she puts her arm on my shoulder and she pulls me close. 

  
  


_ I guess insulating my heart can wait a little. _

  
  


“I feel cold too.” She smiles and we both walk next door with her arm wrapped around me like I’m a child. Maybe it’s the cold night air and our thin clothes, but I like this, I like being this close to her without having to be drunk. She smelled really nice, as if she had sprayed some perfume before coming out of her room. Because of this, I couldn’t help but do tiny sniffs. 

“You look like a cub.” She chuckles. I stare at her awkwardly. 

“I can’t help it, unnie.” I shyly reply.

“Do you like it? You can go over to my room some time and I’ll show the scent that I use.” She smiles, and because we were really close, I see the silver tooth Nayeon unnie and the others that have been talking about. I just nod at her, I felt like I looked stupid. But it doesn’t matter. 

As we entered the dorm next door, we saw Nayeon unnie open the door. The moment our eyes meet, Mina suddenly lets go of me. It was so abrupt that I couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. 

“Nayeon unnie!” She called out as she tucked her hands inside her pocket, leaving me completely fazed at how fast her hands slipped off of me. I never thought that I’d be bothered at something so genuinely small, I am bothered, to be honest. It’s as if she doesn’t want to be seen with me. 

Even with a heavy heart, I greeted Nayeon unnie with a smile and the three of us proceeded inside. I’ve been to this dorm loads of times, It’s basically the same structure as our dorm. Nothing that much different. But of course this dorm is probably a lot more cleaner, if we’re really going to try and point things out here. 

Inside was everyone, and as per usual it was chaotic but in a good way. It wouldn’t be us if the unnecessary noise wasn’t there. The chaos, I loved it. The girls were spread out in the living room, a movie played on the Television too. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I think? 

The place looked comfortable, some were on the floor with pillows on their heads and some were on the sofa, just chilling. It was still relatively early though so Jihyo unnie decided that it would be best if we ordered food. I thought it was a great idea, I need this anyway, I need their chaotic energy. 

  
  


_ I missed these Idiots.  _

  
  


“I know we all talked about this over Kakao Talk…” Trails off Momo, she’s holding a drumstick. Everyone looked up, trying to give their attention Momo unnie. Everyone was minding their own thing before Momo opened her mouth, but they all listened. “How’d your holidays go?” She asks. It may seem like a plain simple question but I know, the others are suckers for a question like that. 

“Nothing much. Just same old, same old, see my family and pretend I still actively go to Church.” Says Dahyun sarcastically. 

“Poor Missis Kim, she’s being lied to.” Replies Jeongyeon unnie, she had this look on her face. We all laugh. 

“Yeah? Poor Missis Yoo because she had to look at your face during the holidays.” Replies Dahyun, she looked bored. 

“Well, y'all can fight outside if you want. I’m not tolerating this bullshit inside my dorm.'' Says Jihyo unnie as she gives Momo another piece of Pizza. I even spot Nayeon unnie roll her eyes at the sight of Jeongyeon and Dahyun, I mean, I can’t blame her. Nayeon unnie has become a pro eye-roller, good for her I guess? 

“I had a good time at Nayeon unnie’s” Says Momo unnie, she’s chewing on her pizza. Mina then reaches for a good amount of tissue and hands it to Momo. They sure love Momo unnie, that I can see. 

“We had a good time.” Corrects Mina, a smile etched on her mouth. I smile too. 

“Bringing the both of you home was a good idea after all.” Chuckles Nayeon unnie, she reaches out for a piece of chicken but the box is obviously away from her, which meant she had to stand up. Just as she was about to stand, Jeongyeon unnie clears her throat. It was subtle though, no one was really paying attention except for me. Of course, I’d just glance once in a while. 

  
  


_ What’s going on between these two? _

  
  


“It’s okay, I got it.” Says Jeong unnie, her voice obviously low. She stared at Nayeon, who just nodded. Jeong got her the chicken, Nayeon didn’t say anything really which is weird. They bicker a lot, I’ve never seen them so quiet before. “Ask for help next time.” Jeongyeon eyes Nayeon, but Nayeon just nods, not really looking at Jeongyeon in the eye.

  
  


_ Awkward.  _

  
  


“My family loves Sana, it’s insane.” Adds Jihyo unnie, looking at Sana blankly.

“Of course they love her!” Laughs Jeongyeon unnie. We looked at her, eager to know what kind of dumbassery she was about to say. I smile, subtly of course, wanting for what she was about to say. 

“Okay, why might that be?” Asks Sana unnie, a smile etched on her mouth, her eyes glistened, she’s painfully cute I must say. 

“The Park family could use a little dose of cuteness…” trails off Jeong unnie, I heard the others stifle their chuckles. I just wait for the dormant Park Jihyo Volcano to blow up after it’s decades of rest. 

“Why?” Asks Jihyo, her demeanor changed. From being this lovely and cute vibe, it suddenly became this serious and sinister vibe. “I’d love to know Miss Yoo.” Thomas smiled the kind of smile that would make anyone freeze. 

“You lack cuteness?” Ah, Jeongyeon unnie shouldn’t have answered. 

“Clean freak.” replies Jihyo without missing a beat. Jeong unnie had this look on her face, she seemed offended. 

“Hag.” Replies Jeongyeon unnie without thinking. 

“Hey isn’t Nayeon unnie the hag?” Asks Momo enthusiastically. 

“Why am I getting dragged into this?” Asks Nayeon unnie who looks annoyed. “Yah, Momoring. You’re not so young yourself.” replies Nayeon unnie. 

“Your mom.” replies Momo, probably without thinking what that truly meant. We all laughed at this, what the hell is going on?

“Shut up.” Replies Nayeon as she reaches for water. 

“Make me.” Replies Momo. 

“I can but …” Trails Nayeon unnie off.

“But what? I might moan a little?” Teases Momo unnie. 

“No, there might be a little amount of blood splattered on the couch. Would you mind that, Jihyo?” Nayeon unnie said this without missing a beat that I was actually terrified. 

I just stared at them, these people can be really frustrating. I mean, really noisy and frustrating. It’s amazing how the others are able to stay with them after all these years. I just smiled and shook my head, I was about to grab another piece of chicken when someone suddenly placed some on my plate. I look up and see Dahyun, smiling. I just smile at her, Thanks Dubu. 

“Ah, dial it down you two. I can’t have noise pollution in my dorm.” Says Jeongyeon, she has this annoyed look on her face. Nayeon unnie just had this blank look on her face, she grabbed some tissues and wiped her hands. 

“You haven’t eaten much, unnie” Reminds Mina, she hasn’t really spoken much since we arrived here. 

“It’s okay, I’m good.” Smiles Nayeon to Mina as she stood up, she fixed her hair before looking Jihyo in the eye. 

“Thank you for the meal, Jihyo. I enjoyed it.” She then bowed to Jihyo and to everyone. “I’ll probably just call it a night. I’m sort of tired, really.” She did sound tired, I just stared at her. I can’t let her go home all alone, right? So I also stood up and bowed to everyone. 

“Thank you for the meal, unnie.” I smiled at Jihyo and then proceeded to cling to Nayeon unnie’s arm. “I’ll have to go home with her.” I try to explain. 

“Yah, why is everyone suddenly going home.” Complains Sana. 

Nayeon unnie then smiled, explaining that she didn’t feel too well. I then told her I didn’t feel good letting Nayeon unnie walk home all alone, it just felt really dangerous. I didn’t trust our streets, in turn, Sana just nods. What else can she do, right?

Right after asking for permission, Nayeon unnie and I headed outside. The walk to our dorm is so short that there wasn't any time to talk with Nayeon unnie. But right before we reached our door I immediately tapped her.

“Unnie…” I call her attention. She turned around, waiting for whatever I was supposed to say. “I haven’t really said anything after the incident and I’m sorry.” I start, trying to gather all my thoughts about the severity of the situation. Everything has become quite stressful lately for everyone, I felt like I am partly responsible for all of this. 

“I’m sorry if I kept quiet all this time.” I tell her. “I know I’m partially at fault with how he got so close to you.” I tell her, I wasn’t looking directly at her, I’m just embarrassed. 

“Hey, Son Chaeyoung.” She places her hand on my shoulder. “Nobody wanted this to happen.” She sounded kind, without any trace of hate in her voice. This made me feel calm, a warm inside me lit up. 

“Unnie, everything’s going to be alright.” I try to assure her, looking up. I see her smile, a sympathetic smile. “We‘ll deal with this together.” I assure her, her smile widened.

“I never took you as the mature kind, but hey, you’re alright.” She smiled and put her arm around me. We walked towards the door, it wasn’t that far from where we were standing. Just before we reached the top of the stairs, we saw an unfamiliar package on the floor right in front of the front door. 

“What is it?” I asked, curiously. 

“Well, then, we have to open it to find out.” She jokingly replies. 

Nayeon unnie and I stared at each other, she’s still got his tiny smile etched on her mouth. We both didn’t have a clue whether the package was there before we left the dorm or it’s recently placed. The package wasn’t that much. It’s a box with a lid on top, nothing much really. 

“Let’s see…” She shrugged. Nayeon unnie, being the curious girl that she is, immediately bent down and opened the box. 

I’ve never anticipated for the next event to happen. The moment that the box became uncovered, Nayeon unnie screamed. The type that’s deafening, very sharp, and screechy. Nayeon stumbled and fell backwards, shaking to get away from the box. I just stare at her, I wanted to see what’s inside but I am too scared.

“No. No. No.” Nayeon unnie whimpered, with tears streaming down her face. She is shaking and panting. I feel a shiver run down my spine, as if my soul has left my body. 

Immediately I walked over to the now opened box to see it for myself.

  
  


_ A cat. A dead cat. It’s mouth agape, neck slit, and eyes wide open. _

  
  


I just stare at it, even if the life in me is almost nonexistent. I just froze and stared at it. I couldn’t feel my legs, I couldn’t move. I felt numb and sick to my core. I hear Nayeon unnie retching in the background, still crying, and I can hear her struggling to breathe. I just stared at the horror. Of all things, why an innocent cat? Why something so vulnerable? I feel as if my airways have closed and that’s when I unconsciously fall to the ground, just sitting there motionless. I don’t know what to do. 

  
  


_ I feel numb. _

  
  


The words, they were written in blood, witten on the lid. I just stare at it, not sure what to do. This only means Min Woo has been here recently and he just waited for us to leave the house. I am uncontrollably shaking, the fear, it’s getting worse than expected. I cannot believe he will go this far.

As I just stare at the sight, I hear the others shouting and calling out for our names, I hear their feet shuffling towards us but I couldn't take my eyes off of the words Min Woo has written. 

  
  


_ “Nayeon-ah, you made me do this.”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, don't forget to give me your thoughts and if you want to ask me for the updates, just DM me on twitter at @onlylookatcub. I will probably be updating more since there's nothing much to do around here. Thank you!


	17. Where Joy and Sorrow meet

**Hirai Momo’s Point of View**

The recent events that have happened with Nayeon unnie have definitely shaken everyone to the core. At first, we all thought it wasn’t that serious. After all, what are the chances of her having an insane stalker, right? 

  
  


_But no._

  
  


Of all people in the world, this really had to happen to her. Not only was she shaken for days, she wasn’t really the same the night after our outing. It was like a turning point not only for her but also for us. Nothing was the same then, everyone acted with caution. We always went outside of our dormitories with company, we just know that walking out alone is a bad idea. We don’t know what his train of thought is. 

Things somehow started to become gloomy, it wasn’t the same. We didn’t gather as much after, and whenever do gather it’s usually quick and things aren’t the same. I wasn’t really as aware as the other girls. Of course, I also thought that asking would be really rude and insensitive. Basically, I knew about the whole situation through my dorm mates. At first, I thought it was really unbelievable. I mean, who stalks physically these days? Don’t people utilize the internet? Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating people to stalk using the internet. 

  
  


_Jung Min Woo is a fucking Idiot. I hope he burns in hell._

  
  


But just when things seemed to have gone back to normal, he strikes again. This time, he just escalated his taunting method. A person like him shouldn’t be allowed to be with society. In fact, that asshole is a danger to society. But for some reason, he gets away everytime. I have to be honest, I’ve always thought that things have been back to normal. I’ve always thought that maybe Jung Min Woo has given up. I mean, it’s been months since we’ve heard anything from him. But I guess, predators don’t rest. Right? That fucking animal. 

Last night was the last straw. I couldn’t believe that fucking monster really had to go that hard. I wasn’t expecting him to be this hardcore. At first I thought he’s just a weirdo who has obsession issues, but I guess he is more than that. 

That bastard slaughtered an innocent cat as a threat. An Innocent cat. That was the confirmation that he’s willing to do almost anything just to get to Nayeon unnie. This isn’t right anymore. Everything’s falling apart, I can feel it. This isn’t how Nayeon unnie should live her life. No, this isn’t how someone should live their life. This is preposterous. This is insane. This has to stop. 

“Do you guys want something from Mickey D’s?” Jihyo is the one driving, she seemed careful though. She probably doesn’t want to ruin the mood in the car. I awkwardly wait for anyone to talk. 

Everyone was quiet, we have been for hours now since we left Seoul. We haven’t been this quiet in a while. The lack of sound, it’s deafening. I am seated right beside Jihyo, Nayeon and Jeongyeon seated at the back together. They usually quarrel, but this time, due to the severity of the situation, no one dares to crack a joke. No one.

“Are you guys hungry? You guys should eat.” Encourages Nayeon, I look at her through the rear view mirror. Her under eyes look a little discolored, she probably hasn’t slept at all. She sounded a little off too, her voice was weak. 

“What about you?” I ask her, genuinely concerned with how withdrawn she’s become, it’s quite disheartening to see her become like this. This is not how a girl in her early 20s should live. She’s suffering so much. 

“I’ll just sleep here. I’m too tired.” She sounded really weak. I turned my gaze to Jihyo, she gave me a look. A look that suggested that she felt really sorry for Nayeon. I just sigh, not sure how to respond to what Nayeon unnie said. I wish I could comfort her, but wishing won’t do anything for her. 

“I’m not hungry. I’ll just sleep here too.” Replies Jeongyeon nonchalantly. I just look at them through the rear view mirror and see that Jeong’s just staring at Nayeon. Nayeon isn’t looking back at her. Nayeon just closed her eyes, resting her head on the seat’s head support. “If you guys want to eat, you guys can go ahead.” Says Jeongyeon with finality in her voice. 

“You can go ahead and eat with them.” Says Nayeon unnie to Jeongyeon. She’s still not opening her eyes as she says this. 

“No. I’m not hungry.” replies Jeongyeon. Why are they talking as if they’re the only ones in the car? The fuck.

“No. We’re not hungry. Right, Momo?” Asks Jihyo, obviously wanting me to agree. I just nod, my appetite has gone down since last night. Fuck Min Woo, figuratively. 

These past few weeks haven’t been easy, the fact that we never anticipated for such a thing to transpire means that what happened last night is something unimaginable. But whatever, no matter how messy things will get, I’ll be beside Nayeon unnie. I’ll go through all this shit with her, at any cost. 

The remaining time we drove to our destination, the silence was just deafening. It wished things didn’t have to be this way, but what can I do? Some things just can’t be helped and that is the reason why we’re doing this. This is for Nayeon unnie’s own good. Nayeon unnie was against the idea herself but everyone insisted, she ended up packing her bags with a lot of crying. This is the only answer to her problem, for now at least. 

Less than thirty minutes later, we arrived at our destination. We were in the countryside, a pretty secluded area actually. This place is owned by none other than Nayeon Unnie’s grandmother. The old lady had a house which overlooked the beach. Like the baby parrot that I am, I was really amazed. The place looked amazing, it had a nice scenery. The place looked perfect, Nayeon unnie needs to be away for a while and I hope she’d be fine. 

The house, you’d expect it to be huge. But no, it looks just right but even from the outside I can tell it looked comforting. Homey. The exterior looked good, but still the design looked very down-to-earth. Both Nayeon and Jeongyeon went ahead first. We were greeted by an elderly woman, probably in her late 60s. Nayeon unnie hugged her and then we were introduced briefly after that. 

“You girls should stay for dinner, I’ll cook something nice for you guys.” Nayeon unnie’s Grandma smiled, ah, it’s so weird how much Nayeon unnie resembles her. Same face shape, same smile, nose, but grandma’s hair was tied to a bun. It’s as if I was looking at Nayeon unnie but forty years older. 

“Ah, we’d love that Halmeoni!” Smiles Jihyo, the old lady smiled at Jihyo and ruffled her hair and told her how pretty her smile is. 

“Grandma, Nayeon unnie can’t cook.” I pouted, and I see the old woman chuckle as if the news isn’t something new to her. 

“The girl’s hopeless.” She sighs, but we all knew she was just joking. Nayeon unnie just smiled, she was seated next to Jeongyeon. This was the first time I’ve seen her smile today, but I know she isn’t fine. 

“She’s learning.” Chuckles Jeongyeon as she stared briefly at Nayeon. We all just chuckled. 

“Anyway, Nayeon-ah. Don’t you want to show your friends the beach?” Halmeoni asks Nayeon. She looked a little hesitant at first, she gave Jihyo this look. Jihyo seemed to have caught on. 

“That’s not necessary, Halmeoni. Momo and I would like to help you in the Kitchen.” Jihyo smiled and grabbed my hand. She’s signaling me to stand up, I just follow her lead. 

“Would you guys excuse us?” Asks Nayeon unnie as she gave Jeongyeon this look, as if just by looking, words already were being sent through their eyes. “Jeong wants to walk on the beach. I’ll just accompany her.” She smiles, Jeongyeon unnie, though she obviously looked taken aback, she didn’t refuse. 

  
  


**THIRD PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW**

Waves crashed along the seashore, it’s almost sunset. The cold breeze pierced through both Nayeon and Jeongyeon’s clothes. But they didn’t care, well, at least for now they didn’t. What’s important right now is to say goodbye and say the right parting words. They’re already steps away from the house, Nayeon wants that of course. It’s the main reason why she asked the taller girl to accompany her. It’s to be away from those women. She just needed time to be alone with Jeongyeon. 

“It was stuffy in there.” Nayeon chuckled. To this, Jeong smiled. She didn’t really want to say anything but it’s been weeks since their last conversation. She felt like she needed to say something. Jeongyeon just felt like she hadn't interacted with the girl for quite some time.

“Thanks for rescuing me.” Replies Jeong with a smile, a genuine one. To this, Nayeon smiled too. The older girl knew that Jeong felt trapped. They knew each other that way. 

“Come with me. I know a spot where it would be completely silent.” Says Nayeon as she reaches out for Jeong’s hand, grabbing it tightly. Jeongyeon doesn’t mind, for some reason Nayeon’s touch felt comforting. She missed it. She smiled and walked alongside the cheeky girl, their hands entwined in the process. 

Not more than three minutes later, they arrived at a secluded part of the beach. They both sat down and faced the beach, staring at the sky as the sun started to set. The bright yellow-orange rays hit both their eyes, but it was gentle, it was relaxing. Not harsh, nothing like that. Everything seemed nice and good, they felt at peace. 

“This feels nice.” Sighs Nayeon, still looking at the sky. She’s totally oblivious that Jeong has fixed her gaze on her. Jeong just stared, without a care in the world. There’s so much to say, but without courage, Jeongyeon’s thoughts will never be conveyed. At least for now. 

“You deserve this.” The taller girl grinned, the feeling of contentment filled her heart, looking at Nayeon made her feel good. It’s just that she’s too afraid to admit it herself. Jeongyeon tried to sit more comfortably. 

“Thanks for accompanying me here.” Nayeon sounded sorry, as if the act of accompanying her is something that’s bothersome. For Jeongyeon, it clearly wasn’t. For Jeongyeon, accompanying the older girl is the easiest task she could do. 

“Anything for you.” The taller girl smiled. The two creatures usually bickered, there hasn’t been a day when they didn’t bicker at all. But somewhere in the middle, something happened between them that changed them a little. 

“Ah, this feels so weird. Why aren’t we bickering again?” Chuckles Nayeon. Jeongyeon stares at the sky, she also didn’t know. All she knew was something had changed. Jeongyeon just couldn’t put her finger on it. 

“Do you want to quarrel with me then?” Jeongyeon asks jokingly. Nayeon stared at her, the mood between them had changed. The smile on Nayeon’s face disappeared, the girl’s face looked blank. She seemed to have gone into a trance-like state. 

“I’d do anything for things to return to normal.” Nayeon sounded defeated. She sounded tired. The taller girl just listened, trying to understand what Nayeon meant. It’s all Jeongyeon could do, listen. 

“Stop obsessing over things that you have no control over.” Replies the taller girl, not really looking Nayeon in the eye. The surroundings were silent, only the waves crashing was heard. It even felt like their heartbeats were heard. 

“It’s good.” Smiles Nayeon, turning her gaze to Jeongyeon. Jeong stared back, the taller girl didn’t see it but her eyes looked sad. Jeongyeon felt like it would be a long time before she would see Nayeon again. Jeongyeon felt this dread inside her, she wanted to stay here with Nayeon. “It’s good that you’re here.” Sighs Nayeon, she sounded tired.

“It’s good to be here.” Sighs Jeongyeon, it was the truth. She felt at ease, maybe it’s because they’re far away from Seoul.

There’s so much to say but with so little time in their hands, the both of them just decided to not open up something that’s been bothering them for months now. Besides, they’ve done a good job ignoring that thing for so long, what’s the point of opening the topic anyway? Both felt like they wanted to depart without a heartbreak. 

“Can I be honest for a second?” Asks Nayeon. Jeong just nodded, all ears to Nayeon but her gaze focused on the sea. It’s getting darker, colder even. Jeongyeon had never imagined for things to be this complicated. It all happened so fast. The heartbreak, it’s something she can’t stop. 

“Go shoot. I’m all ears.” Replies Jeong. 

“I kind of feel bad that I can’t be with you during your special day.” Says Nayeon. Jeong didn’t really understand what the other girl meant, what special day? 

“What?” Asked the taller girl, she was obviously confused.

“Your birthday. Stupid.” Huffed Nayeon, she’s obviously tired. 

Jeongyeon stared at Nayeon. She’s a little shaken because she didn’t expect Nayeon to answer that. In all honesty, she has completely forgotten about her upcoming birthday. She’s got a lot on her plate, work, studies, and the current situation. No, she wasn’t taken aback. But rather, she was swallowed whole by the overwhelming feeling of warmth. She never thought someone would ever think about her at this point. But Jeongyeon is wrong, someone does care and all she had to do was look. She was there, Nayeon. 

Jeongyeon felt this lump form inside her throat, she was afraid that if she spoke her voice might crack. If her voice cracks, other emotions follow and then she’d just become this emotional wreck. She hates that, she really does.

“Ah, stupid girl.” Replies Jeong, she is trying to sound brash. She looked at Nayeon, Jeongyeon had this unimpressed look on her face. “When will you grow up, huh?” Added the taller girl, her gaze now at the sea.

“What is it this time?” Chuckled Nayeon, she wasn’t sure what she did to tick Jeongyeon off this time. 

“How could you think of such things at a time like this?” Asked Jeongyeon, who is obviously flustered at the moment. 

“Should I think of the possibility of me being murdered then?” The shorter girl replies sarcastically. Of course, she’s just trying to lighten up the mood a little bit. 

“Oh god. That wasn’t what I was trying to say!” Complains Jeongyeon, to this Nayeon just chuckled.

“I’m just trying to annoy you as much as possible.” Says Nayeon, she sounded sad. 

“This must be fun for you, huh?” Asks the taller girl. 

“I won’t be able to see you guys as much. And for god knows how long this thing will be.” Says Nayeon, there was something in her voice that suggested she felt a little cheated about the situation. Who wouldn't feel that way though? Being robbed of your freedom because of someone not in their right mind is beyond ridiculous. 

“Just hang in there.” Replies Jeong. “All of this will be over soon, I promise.” The taller girl reassures Nayeon. There was something in Jeong’s tone that made Nayeon believe her. 

“Thanks.” Smiles Nayeon.

“Sure, anything for you.” Replies Jeong. 

A comfortable silence followed after Jeong’s words. The waves crashing on the shoreline, the sound made both of them calm. The sky was getting darker by the minute but they didn’t mind. The cold air hit both their feet but they didn’t bother getting out of there. Instead, they just leaned on each other. They’ve been together for the longest time, as friends of course. But something happened, none of them knew when it happened exactly. 

Nayeon rests her head on Jeong’s shoulders, nonchalantly. 

“I’ll miss you. For real this time.” Whispers Nayeon. 

Jeongyeon has always been careful. Ever since she was a kid, she was taught to be rational about things. She’s taught to think things over and over and really evaluate her decisions. As she’s grown up, she’s realized this has helped her make good decisions. Except for one situation maybe. These past few months all she’s been doing is using her head. Too much rationalization, to be honest. Because of that she’s gotten nowhere. 

Jeongyeon realized that she does not need to rationalize everything. That means, she doesn’t need to rationalize her situation with her best friend. She’s always been happy but also confused. Scared of what might happen if she does give in to what she truly desires. 

“I’ll call you everyday.” Jeongyeon sighs as she rests her head on Nayeon’s shoulder. Both of them were staring at the sea, not sure of what was to come.

  
  
  
  
  


**SON CHAEYOUNG’S POINT OF VIEW**

Being in the meeting for the school festival is something easy for me to do. Especially now that I have mastered the art of being in an auto-pilot mode once I enter the classroom. It’s as if time automatically would pass by. I sit inside the room and then without noticing it, two hours have already passed. Isn’t this great? The skill to auto-pilot is what we need, all students need it. 

Nothing much happened in the meeting, the sponsorship letters were distributed and now that’s something that I have to work on. Whatever, I’ll just have to get that out of the way. All I need to do is find good sponsors and give my share for the event. Another thing about tonight, I know Mina’s meeting is held next door, and so far they’re not yet done with their thing. I guess I’ll just have to wait. My meeting with my organization finished first that’s why I am currently waiting for Mina to finish theirs. 

Waiting for Mina unnie is something that I don’t usually do, it’s because there is no reason to do so. Plus, it’s weird if I wait for her. I don’t think I have the right to do so. But, today I need to talk to her. It’s been days since the accident with the Cat. It’s been quite empty at home without Nayeon unnie too.

Since then, I haven’t seen Mina unnie around the dormitory. It’s as if Mina unnie didn’t live there. With Mina and Nayeon gone, the house has become quite empty. I’m used to the chaos and headache, but now? It’s just sad. This may sound selfish but I just wish things would be normal again. 

“Mina unnie.” I cornered her the moment I saw her approaching the door. I would have to say that she was quite surprised to see me there. She has her hand on her chest, which to me, meant she was taken aback. 

“Chaeyoung-ah.” She breathed out, exhaustingly too. She gave me this confused look and I just had to say something to break the awkward silence. 

“First of all, let’s get you out of that doorway.” I smiled at her and grabbed her hand, leading her to a place that wouldn’t be disturbing the other student’s exit. I guided her to the end of the hall. This part has so much more space which was better for our conversation. Like the dummy that I am, I couldn’t stop smiling. 

“You want to talk about something?” She asked, she says this as if she doesn’t understand why I am here right now. I nod and just stare at the people passing by, waiting for the traffic to die down. 

“I wish we could grab dinner.” I tell her straight to the point, no I am not asking. I am stating something that I want to do. I look at her, hoping that she would just say yes. 

To be honest, all of this is taxing me already. I do not know whether I’ll be able to keep up with this for that long. It’s been months and I have to admit that we’ve been very confusing to each other. I’ve been sending her signals, she’s been sending me signals or maybe not. I just don’t know what goes on anymore. 

“So, would that be cool? It’s just dinner, do not stress too much about it.” I tell her, hoping that she wouldn’t overreact because most of the time she would just go haywire. We’d arrange things and then she’d bail out on me. I just feel like I need to be more assertive. 

“Dinner? Sure. That would be cool.” She smiled. 

None of us had a car so of course we had to book for a cab. Plus when I laid my eyes on her, she seemed tired, from all the practicing maybe? I just needed to talk to her, I can’t afford to lay awake at night anymore with so many unanswered questions. It’s taking a toll on my daily life, I just want answers. That’s all. 

“So, Teal bar.” She had a mischievous smile on her face when she said this. We had just taken our seats and finished ordering. We decided to be seated in a booth to be comfortable. I just smile too, I know going to the Teal bar is old news but it's the nearest place from our dormitory. What else can I do? 

“Yup, Teal bar. It’s always the Teal bar when it comes to you and me.” I chuckle and just rest my chin on my hand, staring at her. She stared back too. It wasn’t awkward, it just seemed like both of us are trying to see where our moods are at. 

“So many memories here. For sure.” She smiled at me, she too, mirrored my actions. She rests her chin on her propped arm. She smiled at me and we just stared at each other. “Anyway, thanks for inviting me to dinner.” She smiled, effortlessly. She sounded like her usual self, voice almost too quiet that I almost had to ask her to talk louder. 

“Yeah, eating alone has become quite lonely lately.” I chuckle. 

“It’s always nice to have someone who can accompany you when doing ordinary things.” She replies as she sips from her glass of water. 

“What else would be the reason why I asked you?” I reply, as I feel the last thread of shame in my body melt. Yes, I have become quite shameless. In situations like this, shameless people win. I want to win, even just this once. 

“That’s why I’m thankful that you asked me.” She smiled and I just felt my heart sink a little. No, not the bad kind of sinking. The good kind, the one that’s pleasant. A pleasant sinking of the heart, that’s what I am feeling right now. She’s so beautiful. 

I was about to ask her why when the server arrived with our food. So I just closed my mouth, I don’t want to ruin the moment. I mean, I’ve ruined tons of moments between us. I’d rather have my mouth shut. 

“Hey, I'm curious. What are you guys actually trying to prepare?” I ask her as I take another bite from my steak. I was trying to make our conversation longer so that dinner wouldn’t be awkward. 

“Well, I can’t really tell you. Can I?” She had this lovely smile plastered all over her face. 

“Well, you can tell me anything. I’m like the most not judgmental person ever.” I try to stifle back my laughter, Mina too, I can see she’s trying to stop herself from laughing. 

“The most not judgmental person ever.” She says this mockingly. 

“What?” I ask her, and notice she’s trying to get a hold of some table napkins for herself, so I gave her some. 

“First of all, I almost had an aneurysm while I was listening to you speak.” She says so casually that I had to pause for like a second. 

“Hey!” I try to defend myself but fail because she’s right. Sometimes, it’s difficult for me to understand myself too.

“Second, what does being not judgemental have to do with my thing?” She smiles, her voice sounded a little high-pitched and made me laugh a little. 

“I was just trying to be cute.” I told her, of course I sounded beaten. Nothing can get past this woman, I swear to god. She stared at me, and she reached out for my head and she ruffled my hair. 

“Aigoo, you don’t even have to try.” She smiled softly and continued to eat her steak. I just stared at her, I knew what she meant. This night is not going to be easy. “Hey, we should order wine. Not too much though, just enough. Would that be cool?” She asked me casually. I just nod because I for one, know she’s absolutely right about this one. 

I know it’s dumb to order wine in the middle of eating steak but nobody is perfect. We sipped and enjoyed the wine quietly, not really saying that much except checking in how each of us have been doing. I need wine, as a social lubricant. I mean, fuck, I’m not that tense. I feel weirdly calm, but damn it, I think I deserve some alcohol. 

“Hey, it’s nice. This whole thing is nice.” Mina, out of nowhere, says this. I just stare at her, her loveliness just explodes all over the place. 

“What? The dinner?” I jokingly asked her, she stared at me. What else could she be referring too, right?

“Yeah, sure. The dinner.” She jokingly replies , she suddenly had her eyes downcast and she just started picking on her now empty plate. I just stare at her, a little confused as to how to ask her things that have been bugging me lately. 

“Hey, Mina.” I call her attention.

“I see you’ve dropped the use of honorifics.” She lifts her head and just stares at me. 

“Do you want me to use honorifics?” I jokingly ask her and I see her smile, a little. This made me feel comfortable with what I am about to do. 

“Whatever floats your boat, Chaeng Chaeng.” She smiles and then she proceeds to grab a napkin. I just stared at her and I couldn’t help it, I have to tell her the truth. I’ve been stressing over this for years now. She needs to know. I want her to know. 

“I don’t know if you can tell but I like girls.” I tell her directly. She stared at me. Not a trace of shock can be seen on her face. 

This is the first time I am telling someone else that I am not straight. I feel as if I should have not told her what I really am, why is she just staring? Can’t she please say something? All this staring is making me nervous. Words, words is all I need. I want her to say something. Please talk, Myoui Mina. Please. 

“Yeah? Well, me too.” She replied casually, and she just propped her arm on the table and rested her chin on her hand. She looked bored as if what I’ve told her isn’t something new to her. 

I just stare at her and feel my heart beat fast, abnormally fast as if I am going to have a heart attack. The Bar wasn’t entirely silent, pop music was currently playing in the background. She seemed unfazed, just staring at me. It’s back, her gaze that pierced through me.

“Mina, I said I’m into girls.” I repeat, making sure that she understands that meant I’m into people like her. 

“Yeah, I heard you the first time. I’m also telling you that I’m into girls as well.” She smirked and I couldn’t help but just blush. 

“That’s…” I just trail off. 

“I kind of knew you were into girls the first time we kissed in Jihyo’s rest house.” She casually says this. I feel my heart sink, this time I do not know whether it’s the good kind. Why? Why didn’t she say a word? Why is she only saying this now? I feel as if my airways have been closed. 

“Why?” was all I could manage to get out of me. 

“Well, I thought you viewed our kiss as a mistake.” She replies. She looked down, she sounded a little sullen when she said those words. I just breathe in and out for a while, not sure why things turned out this way. I shake my head profusely, letting her know that I enjoyed everything that night. 

“Mina, in case you don’t know…” I scratch my nape in frustration.

“What else?” She smirked knowingly, I feel as if she can read my mind.

“I’ve liked you for the longest time now. This may sound corny, but I’ve unknowingly liked you since day one.” I finally say it. She stares at me for a while and she nods her head, as if telling me she understood. It made me feel at ease to see her take the information so easily.

“Yah, Son Chaeyoung.” She huffed and then she slowly reached for my hand and entwined our fingers, she’s just looking at me. Mina is trying to test whether it was okay if she held my hand, I didn’t resist. I just nod calmly but in reality I feel as if my heart was going to burst.

“It’s never a mistake with you. Never.” I tell her assuringly. My heart beating to the beat of the pop music playing in the background. She stared at our hands and she just smiled. 

“Whatever this is, I want to let you know that I am delighted that you are in my life.” She smiles as she squeezed my hand tighter. That’s when I knew, without her saying that much, that she felt the same way. 


	18. Dazed and Confused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you guys enjoy the update! Have fun.

**Minatozaki Sana’s Point of view**

I have always wanted to study abroad, it’s the feeling of independence that makes me want to do so. Though it wasn’t an easy decision for my parents to let me go, they knew that they had to. They just had to. I am an only daughter, I don’t know why I don’t have a sibling. It just happened that way, I guess?

I honestly don’t understand how my parents must have felt the moment I told them I wanted to go and study abroad. I guess they can’t just dismiss the idea right away. I also wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. Do I sound like a spoiled brat? Maybe. But as someone who is optimistic, I’d rather call it being ‘driven’. Sounds better, right? 

I’m just glad both my parents agreed though. Because if they didn’t? I wouldn’t know what my life would be. I mean, living in Japan was fine. Honestly, I love it there because I had good friends and a loving family. But the thing is, I grew up so sheltered. I was pretty much alone cause I am an only child which meant I was always bored. Maybe the experience rubbed off on me, not in a bad way, but maybe I just don’t want these predetermined things to define me.

It has been three years since I came to South Korea. Yes, I’ve always thought I would study in a European country or something but I guess that’s not for me. Instead, I decided to study in a country which is basically real close to Japan. 

“Unnie.” I knew who it was, no one else knows that I am currently working a part time job. No one else but her. 

“Tzuyu-ah.” I greet her with a smile, our youngest has come to walk me home. I couldn’t really ask the others to do this because first of all they do not know that I have dropped out of school and second, well, nothing really. There’s not that many reasons except she’s volunteered to pick me up from work everyday. Well, we’ve been doing this for quite some time now ever since the thing with Nayeon unnie broke. Ever since, things have become somehow grey. A little.

“Am I too early?” she asked, her eyes curious. She just smiled, she’s standing right in front of the counter. There weren't many people, it’s because I’m on the night shift. 

“No, you’re just in time. Wait for me outside?” I ask her. Tzuyu just nods and she walks out, like she usually does whenever she comes to pick me up. The girl who’s supposed to work after my shift has just finished changing to her work clothes and has offered to take my place.

“Is she your younger sister?” the other employee asked.

“Wait, I’m sorry.” I chuckled. I stare at her and smile. “This may sound rude or downright stupid but I still don’t know your name.” I see the girl smile, actually this is the first time I’ve ever had a conversation with her. Yeah, I know, I’m such a dick for not asking the girl’s name. I’ll be better next time. 

“Yeah, it’s been months since you’ve started working here and we still don’t know each other’s names.” She smiled, a good looking smile. 

“Yeah, I guess that was rude of me. Things just haven’t been well lately.” I tell her.

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out.” She smiled as she walked past me and entered the cubicle for the cashiers. I just stare at her, following her movements with my eyes. “You can call me Sehee.” she smiled and bowed. 

“I’m Sana. Nice to meet you.” I bowed too. 

“Looks like your sister has been waiting for you outside. She looks bored.” She chuckled as she motioned for Tzuyu. I couldn’t help but follow her hand and I almost jumped up. 

“Oh, shit. I completely forgot about her.” I mumble and laugh. “Hey, I gotta go. See you when I see you, I guess.” I tell her and I walk away. 

Tzuyu and I usually walk home. The convenience store where I work is actually pretty close to where we live, however, since I do not want the girls to know where I work, I picked the one that’s actually not really by the road. I don’t know, I don’t want any of the girls finding out about my situation right now. 

“Unnie, have you eaten yet?” Tzuyu asked out of nowhere while we were walking. I stared at her and smiled.

“Yup, I’ve had dinner. You?” I ask her, genuinely concerned.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m not the one working at a convenience store.” She chuckles and this caught me off-guard, not in a bad way though. I know her, I know what she meant. 

“Yah, are you making fun of me now? Huh?” I ask her, I try to sound offended and try to see if I could actually fool her. But of course, I just see her smile. This kid, I swear to god I can’t fool her. 

“I’m not making fun of you, Sana unnie.” she smiles, we still were walking along the roads. Talking while walking, that’s what we’re good at. “I’m just worried, you know. A little worried that you might not be eating well.” she had this worried look painted all over her face. 

“Stop worrying so much, kid. That’s not healthy for you, seriously.” I told her, I was speaking honestly. I don’t want her to worry so much about something that’s not that grave. This kid worries too much. 

“Honestly, Sana unnie. I can’t help it. You tend to forget things and I really think that you forgetting about simple things like eating is very possible.” She says this all too quickly. Words shot out of her mouth like an AK47 gun. I just stare at her. 

“Aigoo, since when did you become this thoughtful? Huh?” I reached for the top of her head and ruffled her hair very vigorously. She seemed annoyed, but who cares? 

“You’re a hag that’s why you forget things.” She smirks. 

“Girl, you’re pointing at the wrong person.” I look at her seriously.

“What?” she asked, she sounded a little shaken.

“Nayeon unnie. She’s the hag.” I reply jokingly. She stares at me and she laughs too, it's comforting , to hear her laugh. Satisfying too, she’s a nice kid. We continue to walk in silence, that’s what we were good at. Together, we can be silent. The silence with this kid is fine . As I said, it’s comforting. Everyone loves comfort, right? 

“Anyway, you forget things. I’m not wrong, right?” she asks as we walk. I just stare at her and somehow realize that she’s right. 

“Now that you’re pushing it, you may be right.” I replied as we continued to walk. 

“Hmmm, what do you mean?” Asks Tzuyu, she sounded almost too interested.

“Well, you know, I have enough money. Right?” I tell her, she’s the only one who knows what I've been going through lately. I mean, she shouldn't have known but I guess not all secrets can be kept to oneself. 

“I don’t think you do.” Tzuyu stares at me. 

“What do you mean?” I ask her. 

“First of all, you’ve recently just refused to receive allowance from your parents, saying that you’ll only ask if you’re on the verge of starvation.” She cockily says this right in front of me.

“Hey--” the giant cuts me off.

“Second, you have to pay for rent, you have food expenses, and miscellaneous expenses too.” The giant says this in a so matter-of-factly way. 

“So like, are you majoring in Accounting now?” I sarcastically ask her. She shook her head. 

“I mean, you’re majoring in nothing now so …” She trails off but I knew she was just joking, I can see it in her face. I just gave her this disgusted look and she ended up chuckling. 

“You done now?” I ask her sarcastically.

“Nope. My last point is, one does not count their money up to the last penny if they have more than enough.” She says this so confidently that I just had to stare at her for a while in awe. 

“Yeah, anyway. Back to what I was saying.” I tell her, trying to redirect our conversation. “I know I have enough money.”

“How’d you know?” the younger girl asks. 

“Well, cause I count it.” I tell her, only proving her third point. Sure, Maybe I don’t really have enough money. Whatever, I chose this. 

“See? I was right. Anyway, what’s your point?” Asks Tzuyu. 

“Well, I know how much goes in and goes out of my pocket. But these days, it seems like money is magically appearing inside my piggybank.” I told her honestly, because I wasn’t sure what was going on. 

Since I have dropped out of school, I’ve become really watchful with my expenses. I know how much goes in my piggybank and I know how much goes out. I’m not paranoid but I’m just really trying to be careful with my savings and expenses. Money isn’t easy especially now that I’ve somehow told my parents I’ll contact them if I need money. But somehow, these past few days, the money in my piggybank seemed to have doubled. Just recently, I found five fifty thousand won inserted inside my piggybank. 

“Aigoo, unnie.” Tzuyu smiles. 

“Why? You think I’m crazy? I recently found five fifty thousand won bills inside my piggybank last night? I know how much I put in there! Money can’t possibly just grow in there, can it?” I tell her. 

“Unnie, stop thinking about these things. I’m starting to think you’re going crazy.” chuckles Tzuyu. 

I just stare at her, what’s the point? She won’t believe anything I say. I just smiled at her as we both continued to walk to our dormitory. When we arrived, everyone was asleep. But I wasn’t sleepy. Without Nayeon unnie around the house, life is very quiet here. It’s as if the dormitory became a little dim. I just think it’s sad that we didn’t get to say goodbye to her, we all just woke up and she wasn’t here anymore. It’s as if she had vanished.It’s been a week since she left and we still haven’t received a simple call or message from her. I just feel as if everything’s falling apart. 

But we all know it’s what’s best for everyone especially for Nayeon unnie. Everything’s just too stressful for her, she needs a break. I just wish she’s doing fine with her grandmother. I hope, atleast. 

  
  


**[KAKAO TALK]**

Kim Dahyun:  Hey, what’s up?

I stare at my phone for a while when I read her message. Kim Dahyun, that girl. I know what she wants if she texts me this time of night. I just sigh, contemplating whether I should reply or not. I just stared and stared, feeling as if I might melt my phone because of the intensity of my gaze. 

**[KIM DAHYUN IS CALLING]**

Without hesitating, I answered my phone. 

“Hey.” I answered.

“Hey.” Kim Dahyun sounds like she’s in a good mood. I don’t know why but because of this I smile too. “I was wondering if you could come over?” She sounded polite when she asked this. I just smile. 

“Yeah, sure. I can come over.” I reply. I have nothing to do anyway. 

“That’s great. I’ll wait and open the door for you.” she replies before hanging up. With everything that has happened around here lately, I haven’t had the time to actually meet with Dahyun. Not that meeting her is important, I’m just saying I kind of missed her presence. Well, kind of. I don’t miss her that much. 

I knocked on their door, not wanting to press the doorbell because it might wake the others. Of course, I want to be as discreet as possible. It was already past midnight. Though we’ve done this before, I just feel a little fidgety since we haven’t met in a while. Almost a month maybe? That’s enough to make someone rusty, for sure. 

When she opened the door, she had this look in her eyes. I do not know how to describe it but it made me smile just a little. 

“Hey, you.”She whispered, a smile crept on her lips. “Come in.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me inside their dormitory. I chuckle with what she has done and she chuckles too. She is way shorter than me that’s why I let her do anything she wants. 

“Hey, you.” I chuckle. I looked around her dorm and smiled. “Are you alone?” I asked her, almost too stupidly too. I mean, we’ve done it many times with the others in their dorm and we still haven’t been caught. This time though, I’m just asking to make sure. 

“Well, yeah. That’s why I wanted you to come over.” She seemed shy when she said this. She wasn’t wearing anything skimpy though, just her regular checkered yellow pajamas and an oversized shirt.

“Nobody else is here? Isn’t that convenient.” I chuckle, and I stared at her. She was flushed which was very uncommon for her. She doesn’t blush easily, Kim dahyun. The both of us awkwardly stood there, the room’s silence is deafening. 

I stared at her, and I realised we haven’t done anything since Jung Min Woo happened. The guys basically destroyed lots of things around here, including what Dahyun and I had. I mean, we can still do it but I just don’t want to sound crass and ask her something stupid out of nowhere. I can’t just ask her if she wants to sleep with me, that’s just so off-beat. 

“Where are they, anyway?” I ask her as I walk over to the couch and take a seat. I see her do the same. 

“Well, I don’t know. Personal business maybe.” She answers immediately. I just nod and fiddle with my fingers, I don’t know what else to say to be honest. “Well, I kind of want to watch a movie with you.” she sounded shy, also hesitant even. I just look at her and smile. 

“That’s new.” I laugh.

“What do you mean?” she asks, she seemed confused. She already had the remote in her hand, she was ready to pick something to watch. I breathed in, I didn’t know how to say it without sounding rude. 

“Well, we haven’t done anything like this.” I look into her eyes as I tell her this. 

“Well, there’s always a first time in everything. Right?” She smiles as she clicks on a movie. I just stared at her in awe, I thought differently because I’ve always thought we had limitations with the things that we’re supposed to do. We’ve done almost everything under the sheets but outside the bedroom? I don’t think we’ve ever hung out. 

“This is nice.” I mumble under my breath, feeling this weird feeling in my stomach. 

“It is.” She beamed a smile at me as the movie started to play. 

I'm not sure whether it is the fact that we’ve never done anything in over a month, or because she’s asked me to hang out with her, or just the fact that we’re in the same room and not really doing anything. I’m not sure. But, it’s weird. It’s strange that I feel comfortable just hanging out with her, not doing anything. It’s as if we’re actually friends. It’s nice, it feels very nice.  As we watched the movie that night, we laughed, we cried, we became silent, and we analyzed some things. I felt emotions that are more complex than just having sex.

“No, I’m telling you Amy is the crazy one. Why won’t you believe me?” She tries to insist. Kim Dahyun had this tiny smirk on her mouth. 

We were arguing about some details about the Movie ‘Gone Girl’. After finishing the movie, we start arguing who’s more fucked up between Nick and Amy. I obviously think that Nick is the fucked up one. 

“I know she’s crazy. Her parents know she’s crazy. But you know why I think it’s Nick’s fault?” I ask her, trying to prove that my point is actually correct. She stared at me, as if whatever I am saying will be wrong. 

“Oh please, do tell.” Kim Dahyun cockily replies. 

“It’s because he married her. Also, why the hell would he cheat on her? He’s clearly a douchebag!” I protest, I know I’m actually making a point here. 

“Sana, you know what? I don’t care.” She chuckles as she rests her head on the Sofa. She’s staring at me. I just stare back, not really knowing what to do next. 

We  sleep together, nothing less nothing more. But I guess, because of the things happening around here, she needed to lean on me. Well, I needed to lean on her too. Because as of the moment, my life’s kind of a mess. I do not know what to do and where to go. 

“Thanks for the invite tonight.” I smile at her. She smiled at me too, not really saying anything. 

“The pleasure’s all mine.” She smiles. 

“So, maybe I should get going now.” I tell her, it was almost three in the morning. There was nothing left to do really, we already finished watching the movie. 

“Well, that sounds okay too.” She replies. It seemed like she wanted to say something else, but she seemed hesitant. “Hey, come here. I need to tell you something.” She motions for me to come closer. Not leaving the sofa, I crawled slowly to her until there was a decent amount of space between us. Our faces were just inches away.

“Yes?” I asked her, I know the way I crawled up to her was suggestive but I have always been like that to her. I’ve always expected that she’s used to it by now. 

“Good night.” She stared at me, for a while it was just complete silence. I didn’t say anything but I just stared, feeling my heart rate become faster by the second. 

“Sleep tight.” I replied, just staring deeply in her eyes and that was when I felt Kim Dahyun’s hand pull me close. There was no resistance from me, it’s because I wanted it to. I wanted to be pulled hard. I wanted to be close to her. I want to feel her. My hands instantly found their way on her thighs, squeezing them softly. But instead of getting on top of me, I feel Kim Dahyun press her lips on my lips. It wasn’t the type of kiss that was rushed, it was the type that’s gentle, calculating, and just easy. The type of kiss that you give someone you like. 

  
  


_ Kim Dahyun Kissed me. _

  
  


Kim Dahyun and I have never kissed each other on the lips before. We’ve agreed that kissing on the lips was something that’s off-limits. When I feel everything has stopped, I open my eyes and the moment I laid my eyes on her, I felt this strange feeling I’ve never felt before and because of this I realised Kim Dahyun meant more to me. 

**Son Chaeyoung’s Point of View**

The last time I felt this giddy was during the time I dated Dahyun, it’s been years and it’s just been really good. Ever since that night at Teal bar, I’ve been happy . It’s just that, Mina and I have been in this weird transitioning process of trying to accept that we’re more than just friends. To be honest, I can’t believe what just happened. 

To be honest, everything is still unclear to me. She said she’s delighted to be in my life, does that mean she’s happy where we are at right now or does she mean she wants more? I know that I am just overthinking, but I just have forgotten how dating works. 

This transition thing, this is where people either make it or break it right? I am nervous. I just think we’re in this awkward phase where we both try to figure out where we really are. I just wish I could skip all this transition phase, I don’t even know if she meant whatever she said. Is she really delighted to be in my life? I don’t even know what really goes on anymore. I’m just here, waiting for how things would turn out. I’m constantly anxious, that’s it. 

I’ve never really asked her more questions after that night, we kind of just left it at that. It just feels as if things would be better if we just let the things take its own course. As of now, it’s either I hit it or just miss it. We’re in this weird transitioning period where we don’t know if we should interact or not. The other day we saw each other in the living room and ended up smiling like crazy people. But nothing happened! We just smiled at each other. Stupid, right? 

Yes, we were there just smiling. I was so shy, I didn’t know what to do so I just told her I had work to do and I abruptly went inside my room and locked the door. That’s where we are right now, that whole awkward phase. You know, the unnecessary shy phase? That’s where we are, none of us even have the balls to confront each other. I don’t know, this just makes me feel as if what she said that evening was too good to be true. 

Negative thoughts just flood my head. Thoughts that somehow convince me that there is nothing between us, visit me before I go to sleep. This is the reason why lately I haven’t really slept properly. This is just so different with my experience with Dahyun. Dahyun and I were just so straightforward with everything, once we both confirmed we liked each other we just sort of hit it off. We dated immediately, there wasn’t much complication between us. But with Mina, everything is just so complicated.

I don’t even know if she likes me. All of this, it seems so fragile. The thing between me and Mina, it just feels so fragile and new. I don’t even know if there really is something between us. Is there a space? A space for Jesus maybe? I don’t even know if Jesus wants to be in between us. 

Kidding aside, I just feel lost in this limbo of emotions for Mina. My thoughts really consume me sometimes that I didn’t notice the knocking on our door. 

I jumped out of the Sofa, opened the door and saw Mina. She just stood there, her facial expression changed when she saw me. It somehow softened. As per usual, Mina looked good. She probably just finished with her class, she looked beautiful in her high-waist jeans and loose tucked in shirt. She’s wearing her white converse, her hair tied to a bun. I couldn’t help it, I was just stunned. I couldn’t help myself from smiling, it’s just something that I couldn’t prevent from happening. 

“Yah, Son Chaeyoung.” She calls my attention, that’s when I snapped out of it and let her through. She walked inside and I just closed the door for her. She walked straight to her own room and shut the door. 

“Hi Mina, I’m so glad to see you too.” I sarcastically whispered to myself and just plopped myself on the sofa. She didn’t even say hi, she just basically shooed me and told me to get out of her way. What a loser, Son Chaeyoung. 

“Hey, Chaeng chaeng.” I heard her call out to me, I didn’t hear her step out of her room. She plopped next to me and smiled. “What’s up with that look on your face?” Mina asked, probably not used to seeing me frown. 

“Nothing...” I playfully answered back, sticking my tongue out like a silly kid. 

“It has been awfully quiet around here.” She mumbles under her breath. 

“For sure.I miss Nayeon unnie, I wish I could see her again. It’s been a week since the last time I saw her.” I told her, I looked at her and saw that her mood had changed. She seemed a little sad, a little withdrawn even. “What’s wrong?” I ask her.

“I just miss Nayeon too.” She smiled at me. 

“Everyone misses her.” I told her.

“Of course, who wouldn’t. Right?” She smiled. She was sitting very close to me, both her hands clasped together as if she’s delivering a speech. “Anyway, Chaengie.” her tone had changed from a serious to a brighter tone.

“Yeah, that is what’s up.” I chuckled, I knew she really had something to say. She doesn’t necessarily just sit next to me. So if she does sit next to me, that means she’s got something to say or she’s got a favour to ask. 

“What?” She asked, her tone a little more higher than usual.

“Stop acting so innocent Myoui.” I smirk at her.

“So you’re dropping the ‘unnie’, huh?” She smirked, I don’t know if she likes it or she’s just amused. 

“Nobody is around anyway.” I tell her truthfully. 

“Yah, Son Chaeyoung!” She playfully smacks my shoulder and we both just chuckle. I just stare at her suggestively, playfully placing my arm on her shoulder in the process. She stared at me, her chuckle fading, I can hear her humming softly. 

“What? Are you going to kiss me again and pretend it didn’t happen?” I softly laugh as I slide my arm off of her shoulder. She stared at me, obviously stunned but not stunned enough to get her to run to her room. I don’t know, words just came sliding out. 

  
  


_ I’m sorry for owning a mouth, I guess.  _

  
  


“Why are sliding your arms off?” She asked, her tone serious. She reaches for my hand and she puts it on her shoulder where it was a few seconds ago. 

“What are you doing?” I chuckled, however, I was nervous at the same time. Seriously, I don’t know when she’s going to strike or not. 

“Here you go.” She places two tickets on my lap, dumbfounded, I just stare at them. “They’re uh, passes for my Senior’s gathering this Saturday evening.” She smiled, I knew what she meant. I just stare at her, I don’t know what to feel. I feel as if my heart was going to sink. 

“Are you, asking me out?” I asked her, I was obviously flustered. How come she’s so calm? Does she not have a heart? Does she not have feelings? Is she a robot?

“What do you think I’m doing, dummy?” She chuckles and her eyes just disappear. I just stared at her, I was confused. These past few days we’ve only been smiling at each other. I thought we were in this limbo, but apparently we aren’t? “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” She asked me, her voice full of worry. 

“No, I like it. It’s just that...What’s happening again?” I asked her, I was obviously confused. 

“Aigoo. Yah, Son Chaeyoung. I, Myou Mina, am asking you on a date.” She replies, she was obviously trying to make me shut up.

“Oh, wow. So this is really happening.” I tell her. I was obviously overwhelmed. She just smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheek. She did it so casually I was wide-eyed after. 

“Everything’s in the pass dummy. Keep it, okay?” She smiled, stood up and she pats my head. I was just there, dumbfounded. And then she starts walking away.

“Yah, where are you going?” I ask her, turning around to see her.

“To my room, to do some work. It’s this coming Saturday, okay? Be there.” She replies, she was about to open her door.

“Hey, we’re the only ones around.” I whine, of course she knew what I meant. I smiled at her, hoping that she’d let me stay in her room to, you know, ‘hang out with her’. 

“I’ll see you when I’m done with work, Cub.” She chuckled and got inside her room. 

“Bummer.” I whined loudly so that she would hear me. Sure enough, she did hear me because I heard her laugh in her room right after I let my sentiment be known. She’s mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the read. Don't forget to comment ~ Anyway, follow my twitter @onlylookatcub. I will be updating soon too, I've decided to cut your waiting time short guys. You guys deserve it.


	19. Some Lines aren't meant to be crossed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Please enjoy reading! Please give me your thoughts and suggestions~

**Chou Tzuyu’s Point of View**

Everything’s been quite complicated lately. With so many things happening around me, I do not know where to actually concentrate. I don’t know where to begin. I do not know what really is going on, I am in a state wherein I am just very confused. I am not just confused about one thing. I am confused with almost everything that’s going around in my life right now. It’s just overwhelming. Everything is overwhelming. 

With the academics pulling me by the hair, the school festival bruising my ribs, the pressure from my family for me to go home, everything about that fucking lunatic Min Woo, and my growing feelings for Sana unnie. Everything is just … it’s all so complicated. I just wish I could disappear, just for a day and not be involved with anything. Just me and this entire blankness. That would be nice. I would want that. 

All of this is exhausting. I don’t even know if I have the right to complain. Am I allowed to complain? That’s okay, right? It doesn’t matter, right? I’m the only one who could hear my thoughts. I guess that’s the only nice thing about this. I can be very stressed but at the same time I can just appear okay on the outside. No one can hear my thoughts. They don’t know what I am thinking. No one knows what I am going through. 

I just sigh and prop both my arms on the table, resting my chin on my palms in the process. Is peace not the norm? Is that what life is all about? Chaos? That must not be it, right? There must be some other answer to all these questions. Is this the peak of my life? Does everything go downhill from here? Will I grow old and become miserable? Sometimes, being alone scares me. All these thoughts, all these thoughts consume me. I am stressed out, everything is just so noisy. Can’t things be quiet even just for a day? Just for a day, that’s all I want. 

“Yoda-yah, what is it?” Kim Dahyun slides to the seat next to me. I almost didn’t notice her because of the things I’ve been thinking . Damn, I need to manage my thoughts. I stared at her and gave her this look of acknowledgement, as if telling her ‘hey’. She just bobbed her head up and down, as if jamming to some music inside her head. 

“Great. You actually came.” I smile at her, I don’t even know what to feel right now. Everything’s just so confusing. She stared at me for a while and then she gave me this look. The type of look that suggested she’s confused. 

“Yeah. You want to talk about something?” She asked me, she almost sounds nonchalant. I had to scratch my head, I don’t know where to begin. Should I just dump all my thoughts to her? No. That would be rude.

“Do you want chicken and beer?” I asked her, her eyes lit up and she immediately nodded. Well, that’s all I need for confirmation. 

We both had to get out of that restaurant, I always thought it might be nice in there but it seemed like the place was suffocating. We both needed a place which was open, had natural light, and generally just not stuffy. We both need that. These days I feel like being in a stuffy room is the norm, I just need a break. I think Dahyun needs a break too, she’s just like me too. 

“That would be fifty thousand won.” The delivery guy mumbles under his breath, he was obviously tired. The poor guy had to locate us over and over and check where we actually situated our seats in the Han River. 

“Fifty?! What? Is that chicken fried in gold infused oil or something?” Kim Dahyun started to nag, I can hear her even though I am reasonably far away trying to set up our seats. What is her problem again? 

“Maám?” The delivery guy stammered, he was obviously taken aback with how the blonde girl reacted. The guy just stood there with our delivery. I had to walk over to them.

“Fifty thousand won? Isn’t that a little too hefty?” Dahyun complains once again. “I’m usually polite but isn’t that too damn steep? It’s just chicken.” She adds, her voice becoming increasingly frustrated by the second. 

“I uh…” The delivery guy scratches on the back of his head. He’s probably stressed enough and now he’s got this nagging customer. 

“Can’t you re-compute it? I’m pretty sure it's supposed to be 35 thousand won.” Dahyun says this kindly.

“Hey, I’m sure that’s not necessary.” I smile at Dahyun and at the Delivery guy. I immediately fished the money from my wallet and paid the person. The guy seemed thankful, as he handed us the delivery. Glady, I took the set and we walked over to the spot where I was installing our seats while ago. 

“You didn’t have to go so soft on him.” Kim Dahyun chuckled as she plopped on the newly installed chair overlooking the Han River. The scenery was awesome, the air breeze somehow made me feel a little calm. The breeze made some of my thoughts go away. For a while, atleast. 

“I wasn’t soft on him, I paid him because he needs to deliver to his other customers too.” I reply as a matter-of-factly. She just nodded, as if saying ‘Whatever, kid.’

“He clearly overcharged.” She insisted, she sounded as if she knew what she was talking about. 

“No, he didn’t. I was the one who ordered, right? It’s a set, beer was included with the order.” I told her. 

“Whatever.” She laughs as she opens the first can of beer, she is facing the river. It was almost sunset, the scenery at its peak. 

It’s not the weekend so the Han River isn’t packed. Thank goodness because people can be overwhelming sometimes, not that I hate people. It’s just that, I want to enjoy my fried chicken and beer in peace that’s all. I look over to Dahyun who’s currently just looking at the river. 

“Are you some chicken and beer master ?” I jokingly asked her. She just stifled a chuckle. I’ve never been alone with her before, I never knew she was this cocky. 

“No, I used to deliver chicken.” She blankly replies. 

“Great, never knew you were sarcastic too.” I replied, still looking at her. She sipped on her canned beer, I can see her smirk. 

“I’m being serious here.” She turned her gaze to me, I just stared back. 

“For how long?” I asked, almost too immediately. 

“Two weeks.” She laughed, she almost spilled her beer on herself. That’s when I started laughing too, I immediately grabbed some tissue and gave a handful to her. She thanked me and started wiping her now beer soaked fingers. 

“Jeez, I thought you did it for like a year or something.” I chuckled, reached for the box of chicken, opened it, and handed some to her. She smiled and fished a piece of chicken. “Anyway, you didn’t have to be mean to him. I hate it when customers are mean to me, but what can we do right? We just smile.” words just escaped my mouth without noticing it. Damn, I’m chatty.

“What do you mean you hate it? You had a part-time job before?” She asked almost immediately. I just stare at her, hoping that she wouldn’t ask a follow-up question. 

“Sure, whatever that is.” I laughed, trying to make the mood between us lighter. 

“But it doesn’t add up though.” She said this as if I wasn’t telling her the complete story. 

“Life isn’t about addition, Kim Dahyun.” I reply as I take my first chicken piece. 

“You’re not a scholar, right?” She asked me. 

“I’m not.” I reply, without thinking. I noticed she’s finished all her chicken so I hand her some more. She smiles at me and takes another piece.

“So are you really working? Are you sure? You having a part-time job doesn’t add up. At all.” She smirks, as if she’s solved some none existent puzzle.

“Well, I work. But it’s my parent’s cafe.” I truthfully tell her, what’s the point of not telling her anyway? 

“Oh, so you're stinking rich.” She snorts. 

“We live a comfortable life.” I roll my eyes and just look at the river. She’s cocky. 

“That’s what rich people say!” She exclaims as if she’s really figured me out, I just stared at her. I want her to know I was unimpressed.

“Sure, we’re rich. Is that a crime?” I ask her. 

“At least I got to know you, right?” I hear her chuckle. 

“That’s cool. We had to do it one way or another.” I reply as I grab my can of beer and open it. I take a sip and just look at the beautiful scenery. There was an awkward silence for a short while until KIm Dahyun spoke. 

“Why’d you want to meet anyway?” She asked, so I look over to her and catch her already staring. She didn’t take her gaze away though, she looked blank. Not cold but just very bored. 

“I just wanted to hang out.” I lied through my teeth, she stared for a while and then just shrugged. She believed me, I think. I hope so. 

“You? Hang out with me? Please, why didn’t you contact me sooner?” She cockily reached for another piece of chicken. “Hey, how much is the rent fee for these chairs?” She asked, pertaining to the foldable chair we were using. 

“I’m not sure.” I answer.

“Rich kid indeed, you don’t even account your expenses properly.” She smirks. 

“That’s not the point.” I reply.

“Oh, so there’s a point?” She cockily replies. 

“This.” I point out her way of speaking. “Why do I feel like there is a tension between us? I don’t even understand what’s happening.” I tell her honestly. To be honest, I wasn’t aware that a tension does exist between us. I just sort of noticed it while talking to her. I just stare at her. I’m not sure why I’m even making an effort to reach out to this person.

“I’m kidding!” She laughs. “What do you want me to say? Tell you how much I love you in mandarin? This is me. Get used to it, ma’am.” She smiles at me and she offers me another piece of chicken. 

“Hey, I want to tell you something.” I start, hoping that all goes well. 

“Sure, what is it?”

“I know what’s going on between you and Sana unnie.” I start. I said this bitterly, as if my own words were choking me. I hated saying it, because the more I say it, I feel like the more likely it would come true. But I have to do what I have to do. 

It’s true, I’ve known. I mean, I didn’t intend to know but it just kind of happened that way. It was the sleep over at Jihyo unnie’s rest house, everyone was drunk and unruly. Chaeyoung and Mina unnie were nowhere to be found,I don’t really care. 

But what bothered me is it’s been fifteen minutes already since Dahyun and Sana have been sent upstairs, and they haven’t come down yet to join us. I was worried, very worried to the point I couldn’t enjoy the other’s company. Thankfully Jihyo unnie asked me to go to the rooftop to ask them to join us in the living room, but to my horror, I see them kissing in the bathtub. They were told skinny dip, not makeout. Of course, I went down immediately. You could say I was a little shattered. 

“Excuse me?” She asked, Dahyun seemed nervous. 

“I know you guys are a thing.” I reply and stare at her. 

“When you say a ‘thing’ what do you mean by that?” She asked, she seemed careful. 

“Well, you guys are a couple. Right?” I asked her. All this time I’ve always assumed they were a couple. I see her chuckle, why is she chuckling? “What’s so funny?” I ask her. 

“It’s just that, Sana and I aren’t a thing.” She stares at the river, she grabs the beer can and sips. I can see her trying to prevent herself from smiling. It’s as if everything I’ve told her is amusing. I just take my gaze off of her, and look ahead to the beautiful scenery. 

“Are you enjoying all of this?” I ask her, pertaining to my constant prodding. I am still looking ahead. 

“What? The fact that you paid for all of this or you being nosy and asking personal questions?” She asks, she sounds really calm. She doesn’t seem annoyed, which is a great sign that this conversation may continue more. 

“Well, I was being nosy. Whatever that is.” I answer her honestly. “Hey, you’re barely eating the chicken. Don’t be shy.” I encourage her, even though she’s almost finished with her third piece. 

“I’ve got a question for you though.” She sounded careful. I shift my gaze back to her. “How can you ask me something so taboo? Aren’t you even a little taken aback that Sana and I are both girls?” She asks me, I can sense that she’s being really genuine. 

“No, it doesn’t bother me.” I answer.

“How come? I didn’t expect that.” She chuckled. 

“Well, you know!” I playfully shrug and chuckle. 

“Don’t tell me…” Dahyun trails off, she had this look on her face that suggested that she was surprised. I knew what she was going to ask me. 

“Oh, no. No. Not that way no.” I lie through my teeth. Yes, I am. Yes, yes, yes. Yes I am. 

“Oh, so you’re not into girls.” I hear her trying to clear the questions inside her head. 

“I, uhhh...No. I’m not.” I tell her. I don’t know why I am lying, I honestly do not understand why I’m doing this. I felt bad, for not telling her the truth. I know I shouldn’t lie about who I am. It’s sad that I can’t be true even to myself. 

“So you’re the wealthy straight heiress from Taiwan. That’s your brand.” She laughs out loud and I just had to stare at her. I slowly fetch a piece of chicken and offer it to her, hoping she would laugh a lot less louder. She just stared at me, as if I had committed something very horrible. “What? Is that it? You wanted to ask if Sana and I were a thing? That’s it?” She asked me, trying to understand. 

“Well, I know it’s not my place to say this but…” I trail off. 

“Well, you already dragged me out here. So just ask what you need to ask and just say what you need to say.” She replies. 

“Sana unnie isn’t doing well right now.” I tell her. 

“By that, you mean?” She asked.

“Well, you know what I mean.” I hesitate, feeling as if what I am doing isn’t something that should be done. 

“No, I don’t.” She swiftly replies. She had this look on her face, as if she’s really curious with what I was about to say. I know it’s not my place to reveal things but I just have to do it. This is for Sana unnie’s good. 

That’s when I told her to go visit the place where Sana unnie works, I told her to visit before midnight today. It’s because Sana unnie’s work schedule sometimes changes but for today she’s on night shift. I didn’t tell her Sana works there, I just told her to go visit so that she could see for herself. Of course, because of this maybe she has become a little curious. She had questions that I didn’t answer, I just told her to go see for herself. 

My time spent together with Kim Dahyun seemed pretty chill and she was a very calming energy. She didn’t over react about anything which helped a lot with my mood. We went our separate ways after that, she told me how she enjoyed our time together which made me feel good too. 

These days, it feels like nobody wants to go home. Mostly everyone is just out doing their own thing. Especially after Nayeon unnie left for the countryside, things have indeed changed here. It seemed as if things had become calm. Boring. It’s sad around here, ever since the incident with Min Woo. I can’t believe I teased Chaeng to him. 

The dormitory’s deafening silence just didn’t sit well with me, I just sat on the sofa. I endlessly click and click for Channels. Nothing seems to be good for viewing, or is it just me? I feel myself sink deeper into the couch, the dorm’s silence is rendering me borderline insane. I reach for something inside my pocket and feel some loose change. I immediately stand up and walk inside her room. 

  
  


_She doesn’t have to know about this._

  
  


I immediately find where she hides her piggy bank and slip my loose change in there. Yes, I am the one slipping money inside her piggy bank. No matter how many times she says she’s doing fine and that she’ll figure everything out, I just don’t believe her. I can’t just let myself look at her go through something and not help. She won’t figure it out. Kim Dahyun is about to find out about her situation anyway. After all of that happens, I’ll be in peace because I know someone will be there to help her through this hard time. 

I stare at the piggy bank and slide the money in. I smile. It’s the thought that counts, right? Not all feelings are supposed to be reciprocated back, I just came too late in their lives I guess. She has Dahyun now, I don’t have to worry about her. Maybe liking her from afar is the best way for me to guard my heart. 

  
  


**KIM DAHYUN’S POINT OF VIEW**

“Sana…” I trail off, I feel this disappointment creep on me. It’s eating me inside, I don’t know what to feel, it’s as if I have just been punched in the gut. A strong punch, the type of punch that blows the wind right out of you. I just stand there, I can’t believe what I am witnessing. 

“What are you doing here?” Sana seemed flustered, a lot more flustered than I was. The look of embarrassment is painted all over her face, I can tell. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed to have become frozen. She just stood there, her palms lay flat on the counter, is it for support? 

“What are you doing here?” I asked her, I was confused with what I was seeing. She just rolls her sleeve up and looks at her wrist watch. Her jaws were clenched and it seems like she’s a little annoyed because of my presence. 

“My shift finishes in 5 minutes.” She says this with a distasteful tone. I know what she meant, but I still stared. I didn’t understand what was happening, it’s just so noisy. My head right now, it’s noisy. There are so many questions but she knows better, it was the best that I just walked myself outside. None of my questions would be answered if I try to push more. 

Not more than five minutes of waiting later, Sana emerges outside of the convenience store. She seemed tired, worn out and just in general not in the mood to talk. I just stare at her. I felt her frustration, why did I have to come at her so strongly? I could have just been more gentle. She stared at me, I saw her sigh. This isn’t a good sign. 

“Let’s get out of here. My treat.” I smile at her for the first time today, she doesn’t smile but she just nods. The both of us, didn’t really talk. We just walked silently to the nearest snack tent. It seemed as if her soul had left her body, she looked pale and just dead. It seemed as if she was dead inside. 

Thankfully the snack tent wasn’t packed, this made me a little comfortable. At Least she can hear things a lot more clearly around here. She doesn’t really talk, she would just nod and smile. Is she okay? Is she embarrassed? I don’t even know what’s going on with her. 

“So, care to tell me what’s up with you lately?” I ask her, my tone seemed a little too sarcastic which made Sana lookup, she was half way through her food. She just had this look on her face, is it distaste? I don’t know. There are a lot of things that I do not know at this point in my life. 

“Well, you saw what you saw. I don’t have to tell you anything that you can decipher yourself.” She replies coldly. I’ve never seen her like this before. I have been fooling around with her for quite some time now but never have I ever encountered her like this before. It surprised me, this isn’t something that she does. 

“Huh.” I sigh to myself, it just doesn’t seem like she is glad that she saw what I saw. I just nod and signal her to finish her food. 

“Cool.” She replies as she continues to dig in her food. I just continue to observe her, not saying a word. It seemed like she noticed this and looked straight at me. “What is it?” she asked. 

“Finish your food first and we talk.” I tell her frankly and that’s when she sets her food aside and she gave me this look. She seemed emotionless, just tired of everything. 

“So, what is it?” She asked, this time she sounds a little calmer than she seemed before. But still, a little too plain sounding for Minatozaki Sana.

“To be honest I don’t know what’s happening to you.” I start. It’s true, it’s as if the both of us have become distant. It just doesn’t feel right, everything about this just feels so alien to me. 

“Same. I’ve got no clue too.” She replies sarcastically, so I just stare at her. 

“You’re being sarcastic I don’t even know why you’re acting like this. I’m just asking you a simple question. Why are you being difficult?” I asked her, words just kept coming, I couldn’t help it. Sana was being difficult, I don’t even know why she’s so upset? 

“First of all, I don’t owe you anything Kim Dahyun. I don’t get to know anything about your personal life and you get to know anything about mine.” She replies back and to be honest, her words hurt. Her words hurt because they were true. 

“Well, who’s the stupid punk who said that? Who ever said I don’t get to do that?” I ask her in defense, I just think she needs to hear me out. I want to know. 

“You’re the stupid punk, Kim Dahyun.” She gives me the side-eye, that’s when it hit me. I am the stupid punk, I was the one who set all the boundaries, and now I regret everything. 

“Yeah?” I ask, I was obviously beaten.

“Yeah. Quit asking, all of this is tiring. It’s almost 1 in the morning, what the hell are we doing here?” She asked. 

“No. Not yeah. The opposite. I want the opposite.” I try to protest. 

“What are you trying to say? What opposite?” I can hear frustration in her voice. Sana wasn’t pleased, I know she’s about to lose it. 

“I want to erase everything. Let’s trash all the agreement.” I tell her, I know I wasn’t thinking properly. The agreement was made because we both want to establish boundaries. Though she was hesitant of the things I was trying to propose, she eventually agreed. I...I don’t know what to do anymore. All of this is frustrating and confusing. 

“What? You think it’s that easy?” She snorts, she had this look of mockery written all over her face. I just had to look at her, I needed to respond to her properly. 

“Yeah, I’m saying it’s trash. We’re putting it in the trash, that’s where the agreement belongs.” I smile. She just stared at me, she looked dumbfounded which made me feel a little off. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask her. 

“Why do you think, Kim Dahyun?” She asked me sternly. 

“I don’t know.” I answered her, truthfully this time. I really don’t know. 

“You’re so full of yourself that you don’t even understand why I am upset.” She says this calmly. 

“I don’t know what you’re feeling. I’m not some mind reader, if you want me to know just tell me.” I answer back. 

“You don't need me to tell you what’s wrong. You should’ve figured it out the moment you started opening your mouth.” She replies back. 

  
  


“What the hell are you talking about? What’s going on?” I ask her, my frustration growing more every second I spend with her.

“You’re so full of yourself.” She looks me in the eye, she said this so distastefully. My jaws clenched because of what I had heard. 

“Where is all of this coming from?” I ask her, trying to figure out where things went wrong. “We were just talking about what’s been happening to you and trashing the agreement. That’s it, why are we fighting?” I ask her, my heart beating fast in frustration. 

“You have the nerve to ask me where all of this is coming from?” She asks, I was just so confused. I do not understand what was going on, nothing was clicking inside my head. 

“What else am I supposed to do, Sana? What do you want me to do? Tell me so I can do something right!” I raised my voice at her. I see her change facial expression, she seemed taken aback that I raised my voice at her. This is the first time that this has ever happened, she just stared at me. Her cheeks were flushed, I can see that her jaws were slightly clenched. 

“Why are you asking? You’ve never asked me about my day before. We just meet, do it and get it over with. We never sleep over. That’s it. Why are you being so curious?” She asked.

“I’m concerned.” I tell her honestly. 

“We hook up, concern isn’t exactly something that should be involved in whatever relationship we have.” She replies. I just stared at her, I felt her words. They were bitter, like black bile sliding through my tongue down to my esophagus. I feel everything. 

“That’s why I want to revoke our agreement.” I answered her, my feet felt cold and I felt jittery. 

“Revoke? This isn't a Visa application, Dahyun.” She replies wittily. 

“No, what I meant is…” I trail off, trying to figure out the right words to say.

“You know what this is all about? This is all about convenience.” She chuckles, a distasteful chuckle. She wasn’t pleased at all.

“What are you talking about?” I ask her. 

“You want things to go easy for you. Have you ever thought what I would feel?” She asks me. 

What does any of this have to do with convenience? What the hell does she even mean? I just, I just want to be with her. Why is she being so difficult? Why is she swerving so much? None of this is making sense. I just wish I would know what’s going on inside that head of hers. I just feel so helpless and trapped right now. I don’t know how to respond to all her draining inquiries. 

“I just want to know what’s going on. I’m confused to see you there, working at the convenience store. I have so many questions inside my head right now.” I answered her properly, I was sad because I honestly thought she’d tell me things. I kind of expected she’d do that, I mean, I kind of expected that to happen lately.

“You’ve prevented me from kissing you on the lips, I can’t even hug you, you never liked being cuddled, we can never sleep over, and we don’t even ask each other’s condition. You’ve told me this, right? You knew I liked you from the get-go, you knew. That’s why when you offered me this arrangement, I agreed immediately.” She was me in the eye intently when she said this, I feel as if my heart has sunk. 

“I know, I know the things that we’ve agreed on.” I tell her. 

“For months I felt empty, I may be hooking up with you but it felt like this vicious repetitive cycle. You've always been adamant of keeping things separate. I’ve built walls, Kim Dahyun. Walls that are difficult to build. Over time, I just learned to enjoy and just set my feelings aside for you. I have been trying, Kim Dahyun. I’ve always understood you.” Her voice cracked, that’s when tears started to fall from her eyes. Seeing her cry made me break from the inside. 

“Sana...I’m so sorry.” That was all I could mutter.

“How can you be so selfish and just kiss me like that? Do you think you can do anything you want because I have feelings for you? You are unable to think about what others would feel because you’re only concerned about what you feel. You are selfish and you are ignorant.” She sniffs. “Do you think I’m easy? Do you think I am someone you could just order around? I am more than just someone you can sleep with.” She cries even harder. 

I stared at her, her words were like bullets. Her words shot me, they hurt and I don't know what to say and what to do. Everything that came out of her mouth is true, I am selfish and I love convenience. I am ignorant and I can’t do anything right. I am nothing and I act like I am everything. I just stared at her, she looked lovely as usual but this time the sight of her was heart wrenching. I feel as if my heart was torn into millions of pieces, I’ve never felt this way before. Tears were streaming down her eyes. 

“Sana, I didn’t know you felt this way.” That was all that I could say, my voice broke. I am an asshole for not knowing the right words. 

“Well, now you know.” She replied, she seemed tired. “I don’t want to see you for a while Kim Dahyun. Let’s not meet alone for a while.” She stood up and took off. I just stared at her as she walked off. 

Just like that, I was alone.I was left in the snack tent all alone.I slumped down, I never knew I had become the toxic one. I never knew that she felt that way. All this time, all I thought about was how to avoid having feelings for her but because of my own precautions, I am now alone. I’ve lost her. How can life be such a bitch? Why did I catch feelings now that she doesn’t want me? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys had a good time reading! Anyway, if you guys have stan twitter accounts, please follow me @onlylookatcub. Thank you!


	20. The one where they visit the Sinkhole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW**

Maybe it’s the absence of people in the dormitory. Maybe it’s because Minatozaki Sana hasn’t been around lately, she too had been battling with her own problems. She doesn’t want to burden anyone because she deems it unnecessary, well, maybe she can burden one. Chou Tzuyu. Chou Tuzyu, on the other hand, has also been quite busy with school, hanging out with Sana, plus some activities for the festival. Everything’s been quite hectic for the youngest. Nayeon hasn’t been around for more than two weeks now and the event has certainly changed how things run in the dormitory. 

The dorm used to be awfully loud, with Jeongyeon visiting Nayeon all the time and Dahyun and the others dragging along, there used to be no peaceful time for the dorm. Everything used to be very loud, abnormally loud. But the noise kept the dorm going, it made everyone happy. Now they’ve realized that if one of them is missing, it just doesn’t work well. Things just have become scattered and it has never been the same. 

The absence of Nayeon has preceded so many things. Everyone knew that it was the best for Nayeon to go home and be with her grandmother in the countryside. That was the only thing that everyone could think of, although they knew it would break everyone’s heart especially Nayeon’s. But everyone has to be strong, they need to beat whatever is happening to them. They need to cooperate and beat the Lunatic, Minwoo. 

As it was stated, Nayeon’s absence has created this imbalance in the dorms. Everyone knew that. Everyone felt that. Sana and Tzuyu seemed to have stuck together, Tzuyu doing the same routine she’s always done. She’s been picking Sana more now, which made her curious. 

Her purpose in meeting Dahyun was for Dahyun to replace her and do her work. But it seemed like she had miscalculated things. Tzuyu has noticed things about Sana though, she’s become a little quiet these days. Her face has become thin and she doesn’t talk as much during their walks home. It has bugged Tzuyu but she just brushed it off, she doesn’t want to bug someone who’s going through things. She thinks it would be better if she gave the poor girl some space. Tzuyu thinks that all Sana needs is silence. Tzuyu already knows her place and spot in Sana’s life, she’s just here to be her friend. Nothing more. 

Minatozaki Sana, on the other hand, is devastated, for so many reasons. But she knew that all her frustration and this confusion inside her is connected to one root. The root’s name is Kim Dahyun. Ever since that night when Dahyun caught her at her workplace, she hasn’t really been herself. This thick band of frustration has wrapped around her and admittedly, she doesn’t think she can escape its grasp anytime soon. Work has just become this repetitive cycle that she dreads, eating has become a chore, sleeping is impossible, breathing has become hard, and all of this is caused by one person. It’s Kim Dahyun. 

Sana doesn't know whether she should hate the girl for being too impulsive, childish, and selfish. Should she hate her? Is it the right thing to do? She’s loved the girl for the longest time now, and she knew when the girl asked her to be someone who she would spend nights with, she'd immediately say yes without a question. 

But the thing was, Sana felt used after the longest time and it just hurt her. Sana doesn’t even understand why she’s hurt when in the first place she’s the one who agreed to the arrangement. Sana has always taken a special liking to the girl, so she wonders why she’s complaining. 

Everything is just a mess, and Sana doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t even know whether they should continue ignoring each other or whether she should meet and talk with the girl again. Sana knew breaking the agreement wasn’t the issue. The issue was jealousy. She’s always been a positive person, but when she saw Kim Dayun and Son Chaeyoung hanging out and eating at Teal bar that one cold night, it seemed as if she was shattered. She didn’t mean to see them, it somehow just happened. Seeing Dahyun smile because of another girl somehow broke Sana. 

Kim Dahyun has always been confused for the longest time. She was broken because of Chaeyoung and seeing her ex-girlfriend move next to her dorm has made things a lot more complicated for her. She’s always asked her, of all the places in Seoul, why did that brat have to move next to her place? She has always thought that Destiny was such a trickster for playing her like that. She’s worked hard for almost two years to forget about the girl but low and behold, she’s suddenly living next to her dorm. Kim Dahyun admits that there were times that she wanted to ask the girl to get back together, but something happened. She just started seeing Sana as someone more than a person she sleeps with. 

Kim Dahyun has always had difficulty with trying to express her feelings, she always says things in a manner that would catch people off-guard. That was what happened that night with Sana. To Dahyun it was funny how she only started seeing Sana’s qualities when they sort of halted sleeping together. She knew Sana liked her, Dahyun used this to her advantage to get to casually hook up with the girl. But the thing is, Dahyun never made a contingency plan if she ever catches feelings. She never thought she would grow to like the girl, but she did. And now, Dahyun doesn’t know what to do with the fact that Sana has asked her to not see each other. Each day that she doesn’t get to talk to Sana, an invisible knife is slowly pushed in her chest. She knew she hurt the girl, the only problem is, Dahyun has forgotten what to do if you like a person. It’s as if being broken by Son Chaeyoung has made her like this. 

The tension was felt in the dorms, the halls were silent. Everyone was going through something. It was crazy how people just kept quiet though, no one ever tried to confide to anyone about their problems. Maybe that’s the reason why everything is just in chaos right now. 

One thing is for sure, there is something brewing between Son Chaeyoung and Myoui Mina. However, the thing is, both of them are unsure where they stand. Son Chaeyoung is almost always too careful with her actions, because of this, she always seems like she is disinterested. It’s as if she doesn’t really care that much, but in reality, she does care and she wants to pursue whatever is happening between them. The only problem is she’s unsure whether Mina understood that she indeed has feelings for her. Both of them are in this crazy situation where they’re just in this limbo. 

_So, are they or are they not?_

To Son Chaeyoung, all of this was overwhelming, she just wished Mina took hints and understood immediately. But this isn’t how life works, she might just need to wait. 

Mina, on the other hand, is beyond confused. She knows that she is indeed delighted to be in Chaeng’s life but she doesn’t know whether what she said was indeed genuine. Did she say that out of impulse? She doesn’t know. Did she say that so as to prevent awkwardness between them? Mina also doesn’t know. Did she say that because these past few days Chaeyoung and her have been spending more time alone together? She doesn’t know. But she did enjoy spending time with the girl. 

In reality, Mina is very slow at picking up signals. She’s like that, though various things have already happened before, the only thing for her to confirm things is real confirmation from Son Chaeyoung herself. But many things did happen during that week that made her think if the younger girl does like her. 

There were moments that made her think hard though. Mina has always walked from the University to their dorm, it’s because it was nearby. One night though, it started raining in the middle of her walk. She was probably only a hundred steps away when it started to pour. The raindrops were big grains, and they were strong. Because of this, she ran to her dorm. It wasn’t that much far anyway, right? 

“Shit.” Mina mumbled under her breath as she ran towards their dorm. It was nearby, but she was soaked because of the rain. Oh, how she wished she had just gone home earlier. As she ran, she was halted by a figure. 

It was Son Chaeyoung, wearing a raincoat with an opened umbrella already covering her. Mina was taken aback first, she just stared at the smiling girl. Mina hastily accepted the umbrella and that was when Son Chayoung walked back inside. Mina, of course, was still taken aback so she was just left there standing. 

* * *

One time, as Mina was studying her lesson inside her room, she heard a knock on her door. It was none other than Son Chaeyoung. The younger girl was asking if her unnie had an extra lead pencil. Mina first thought the intent was innocent so of course, the older girl obliged and let the younger girl borrow her things. Now the thing is, Son Chaeyoung usually studies in the Kitchen and later that day, Mina Notices that Son Chaeyoung indeed has her own set of lead pencil refills. But Mina shrugged this off and went on with her day, trying not to mind the confusion that she has experienced. 

* * *

Mina and Chaeyoung rarely would see each other at the University for two reasons. First, their courses are very different which means their buildings were different. Second, they do not know each other’s schedules. Basically, seeing each other means one has to know the other person’s route.

“Mina unnie!” A familiar voice called out to Mina as she was walking the hallways to her next class. She was alone and some of her classmates had their own thing to do. So of course, that day Myou Mina was totally all by herself. 

“Oh, wow. What brings you here?” She smiles. A big smile, she was relieved to see someone familiar. 

“Here you go.” The younger girl smiles. She hands Mina a can of coke. Mina accepts it, dumbfounded with what was happening. “Enjoy it, okay? Don’t give some to anyone or I’ll be upset.” Son Chaeyoung smiles Cheekily. 

“But uh--” Mina was cut off. 

“I have to go now. Fancy seeing you around here!” The younger girl smiled as she quickly ran away. Mina just stood there with a cola in her hand, not sure what was happening. 

* * *

Later that week, the four housemates; Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, Mina, and Sana were at home. Finally, they were complete after a long time. Though they see each other in the morning or at night, the meetings were rather brief. They just greet each other and that’s it. They’ve never really had dinner together in a while. 

“I wish we could visit Nayeon unnie, just one time. I kind of miss her.” Mumbles Tzuyu under her breath. She looked a little sullen when she said this, all of this is already taking a toll on her. Mina scoots closer to the youngest girl and puts her arm around her. 

“Should we do that, Tzuyu-ah?” Mina smiles. The older girl was trying to comfort Tzuyu. It was difficult for everyone. 

“I swear to god I miss that hag bugging me.” Sana sighs and she fills her plate with more food. Chaeyoung just chuckles looking at her. 

“Are you going to eat your sorrows away then?” Chuckles Chaeyoung, Sana just smiles. No one says it but it feels incomplete to not have their unnie around. They miss her childish energy. 

“I miss her too, you know.” Son Chaeyoung mumbles under her breath. She looked at everyone and she knew they all wished Nayeon could come home soon. 

“If it weren’t for that sick bastard.” Tzuyu adds. Mina stared at her as if agreeing. 

* * *

**SON CHAEYOUNG’S POINT OF VIEW**

So much has happened during these past few days. I have to admit the feeling of being followed has increased and it has come to a point where I couldn’t sleep well. I’m sure the others feel the same too but none of us dare to talk about any of it. We’d rather just mope around and try to live our lives as nothing has ever happened. 

After Nayeon unnie left for the countryside, we all decided to carry out our regular routine and just try to live normally. Since she and Jeong unnie go to the same University, Jeong has agreed to file Nayeon unnie’s absence due to the recent events. Konkuk University was kind enough to understand the situation. Things may have been confusing but honestly, I’d rather do regular work than stay at home and be terrified the whole time. I can’t waste my time just because of some asshole trying to fulfill his sick fantasy. 

“So we actually need to gather this much in order to fund this event.” Some Senior says as he underlines whatever he was writing on the whiteboard. Probably the amount we needed to gather. 

“So, can we go now?” Complains some bitch in the back of the room. I mean, I didn’t mind. She was speaking for everyone inside the room. 

“Yes.” The senior sounded tired, but then he gave us this look. “Don’t forget your contributions. Alright? Or else I’ll smack you all.” He threatened us but no one seemed to be bothered because I see everyone slowly getting up with their bags and walking straight to the door. Poor senior, he’s just trying his best. 

Tzuyu isn’t with me as of the moment. We were supposed to attend the meeting together but she said she was needed somewhere. So of course, I just let her be. I didn’t want to be nosy.

Walking out of the classroom was a hassle since there were a lot of people, so of course, I had to wait in line. Because I am me, I didn’t want to go with the crowd, I don’t want to be squeezed. It’s already enough that I am small, I didn’t want my body to be trampled upon. No. Not on my watch. 

After everyone had left, I then proceeded to head out of the door to go home. There wasn’t really much to do plus I had no other reason to stay out. I’m kind of tired anyway, I’d rather sleep at home or something. 

“Hey, you.” I hear someone whisper beside me. I immediately turned my gaze to see who it was. It’s Mina unnie. I let out a sigh of relief, mainly because I’ve been actually quite jittery the whole day. 

“Please don’t just come up to me like that.” I sigh, a little nervous. 

“Don’t tell me you actually forgot about our date.” It seemed as if she was a little disappointed. I just stare at her and remember that today is Saturday, I immediately turn red. 

“It’s only quarter to eight though.” I try to defend myself, I see her nod her head. 

Today is Saturday and I am a total dick because I forgot about our date. We decided to go home together, as per usual Tzuyu and Sana weren’t at home so I was able to act more naturally around the older girl. According to the pass, the party would start around nine in the evening. We dressed up accordingly to the event and of course, we wanted to be fashionably late because according to Mina unnie “It’s not going to be much fun anyway.”. 

When we arrived, I realized the venue was at a hidden spot in Itaewon. It was a nightclub, but not just any other night club. I cannot believe we’ve been invited to party at the Sinkhole club in Seoul. 

“You didn’t tell me we’re going to party here.” I whispered to her as she started greeting her seniors. Of course, I greeted them too. She introduced me as her companion. Fair enough. 

“I told you to read the passes, right?” She gave me this playful stare that suggested she was disappointed. 

The Sinkhole is a club that’s known as a secret club for foreigners and edgy people. The exterior of the club is very simple which is a big contrast to its interior which was absolutely amazing. The club wasn’t mainstream, plus the disk jockeys didn’t play the usual Korean pop but instead, they leaned more towards Rnb and other western music styles. It also didn’t hurt that the club wasn’t mainstream. 

* * *

“So you’re telling me that your whole department rented this whole place out?” I ask her. We were both seated in a booth where it was only us, a spot which was quite far away from the crowd. She stared at me and just nodded, it seemed like she wasn’t really feeling the place.

“It seems like you’re not enjoying it here.” I tell her, she gave me this look and I just stared back. We were both dressed in club appropriate clothing, so admittedly, it was getting cold. 

She stood up, grabbing my hand in the process. I was taken aback so I let her do whatever she wanted. “Hey, let’s get out of here.” She declared and I just had to stare at her for a short while. I wasn’t sure what I was hearing. 

“Excuse me, what?” I asked her, she was still pulling me through the crowd. We were both heading towards the exit. 

“What’s the point in staying? I’ve greeted all my seniors already. Besides, the night is still pretty early.” She smiles at me, holding on to my hand tightly as we reach the exit. 

We both decided it was best for us to go home and spend the rest of our date there, we both aren’t the party people type. That’s probably why she chose to just eat at home and just vibe. Honestly, I’d rather be at home with her. 

* * *

Everything at home is silent, no one was home at all. And this may sound sleazy but, I liked that. After a few days I got to be alone with her again. Even though she doesn’t see me that way, the point is I get to be alone with her and that’s amazing.

“You’ve never had pesto pasta before? Are you kidding me?” Mina sounded really amazed, she had this look in her eyes that suggested she doesn’t believe anything that’s coming out of my mouth. 

“I swear I’ve never!” I laugh as I have another bite of the pasta. 

“Son Chaeyoung, you’re unbelievable.” She had this smirk on her lips which made me pause for a while. I have to admit she looked hot, I couldn’t look at her so I just playfully looked down at my plate and chuckled. 

“I can’t believe you can actually cook.” I replied playfully while stealing a few glances. When whatever I said registered to her she seemed shell-shocked. She gave me this offended look.

“You’re too judgmental, honestly.” She smiles and then she looks down on the plate of food. 

“I mean, I guess I was wrong to automatically judge you.” I smiled. 

She looked up and just nodded, it seemed like she’s finished her food. She stood up and walked straight to the fridge. “You getting something?” I ask her, genuinely curious about what she’s rummaging inside the fridge. 

“This.” She finally pulled out something from the fridge. She had this smile. 

“What, champagne?” I asked her, I stood up and walked closer to her. I looked closer at the bottle and inspected the drink. “Are we drinking this?” I asked, of course that was a dumb question but I just felt like I had to ask. 

“We could play PS4 and drink.” Her tone was suggestive, I couldn’t help but smile. Without skipping a beat, I grabbed the bottle away from her hands and nodded.

“Set the game up, I’ll get the glasses.” I replied, she then walked her way through the living room. 

This scenario has never played inside my head before. In all honesty, I didn’t want to have myself think things like this. Because I think, if I invested in such thoughts I’d just be in too deep to the point that I’d have a hard time picking myself up if my expectations don't meet the realities that I’ll be confronted with. 

* * *

“I don’t even know why you’re being so extra right now.” I chuckle as we play UFC 2 in the game console. She suddenly paused the game which caught me off-guard. Slowly, I turned my gaze to her and she seemed dumbfounded because of my words. 

“What do you mean when you say I’m being extra?” She was blinking, she obviously didn’t understand whatever I was saying. 

“Mina unnie, did you really have to pause the game?” I jokingly ask her, trying to ease the tension between us. She was quiet for a few seconds before she swooped her glass of champagne. She took a sip and she pouted.

“I want to hear you talk without all this racket.” She smiled, gesturing to the screen. 

“Well, I know you felt bad because it took so long for this date to push through.” I tell her, I felt like filtering whatever I say now won’t help me at all. I just, I just want to be as transparent as I can. I’ve been pushing and pulling for the past months, I don’t think I can’t do this any longer. 

“You’re correct.” She said this as a matter-of-factly. She stared at me, not breaking the eye contact between us. “You could’ve just asked me, you know.” She seemed serious when those words came out of her mouth. 

I knew what she meant, I knew. It’s not hard to comprehend people’s words. But with Mina, I try to dissect her words. I know doing so wouldn’t be healthy for me, it would only create false expectations inside my head. But I didn’t want to ask, I didn’t want to come off as someone so desperate and needy. I don’t even know whether I should push forward or just...leave her be. 

“Ask you what?” I say this as if I didn’t know what she meant. 

“You could’ve just told me what you wanted.” She replies. 

Even with the controllers in our hands, our eyes are connected by this invisible line. I wanted to break whatever this tension is, I do not know where this could get me. We’re drinking champagne, a glass won’t even get someone drunk. Why is she suddenly acting this way?

“Do you know what I want though?” I ask her playfully. 

“No, what is it?” She asked, her eyes seemed like she was taken aback with my reply. 

“I want to continue the game.” I chuckled, motioning for the television. She had this look on her face when I said this, I’m not sure what the look meant. She just nodded, not very brightly though. “I know you hate losing, so, please don’t suck.” I chuckle.

“As if you’d beat me.” She smiled cockily and we resumed the game. 

To be honest, I didn’t care for the game. Games, they’re great and I think they’re a good way to waste time if one isn’t doing anything. However, it’s Mina over stupid games. The thought that I’m spending my free time with her is more than enough for me. 

“Ah, damn it. You’re too good at this!” I chuckle as I press the controller’s buttons with my right hand while trying to drink from the wine glass using my left hand. 

“Loser.” I hear her chuckle under her breath as she concentrates on beating me. Of course, she’d beat me, I suck at playing this shit. “Yah! Son Chaeyoung!” Mina abruptly pauses the game and I stare at her, not sure why she called my attention.

“What?” I asked her, obviously not sure why she abruptly paused the game. 

“Yah. I obviously suggested that you play with me because I thought you weren’t like the others!” She sounded disappointed but questions only flooded my head. 

“Not like others? What do you mean by this, exactly?” I asked her, I didn’t understand what she was saying. 

“Yah, Son Chaeyoung.” It sounded as if she was trying to warn me about something.

“What?” I asked her, I obviously can’t keep a straight face while she’s being this cute. It’s too much for me. 

“Don’t go easy on me. Are you bored right now?” She asked, she sounded challenged. She had this smirk on her face.

I just stare at her, why is she so concerned with my state? 

“I am not going easy on you.” I defend myself. Of course, I had this grin painted on my mouth which made it hard to believe I was being serious. 

“Then stop drinking and I’ll believe you.” She smiled at me, and her eyes sparkled. Her gaze stuck on me for seconds, without words coming from either one of us. 

“Do you want to know why I’m drinking?” I huffed and picked up the wine glass. I stared at her, feeling my restrictions of liking her peel off. I sip on the glass while looking her in the eye. 

“No, why?” She asked. 

“Well, you’re too good that I’m frustrated.” I chuckle as I place the wine glass beside me, serving as a barrier for both of us. She looked at the wine glass and decided to place it on her side, she then scooted close to me. This left no space between us. She’s obviously facing the screen that’s currently paused, I just stare at her while my heart starts to beat fast. 

“Shut up and play with me.” She said this and pressed the resume button. I just stare at her in awe, she’s never been like this to me during regular conversations. She then turned her head and we faced each other. My eyes widen with how brave she’s gotten, this isn’t her. I mean, I’m not even sure who she is anymore. 

“What if I don’t want to play with you?” I shakily ask her, I am nervous. I couldn’t help it, if the one you liked for months did this to you, you’d be dead too. 

“You’ll have to play with me.” She blankly replies. Though she sounded as if she was just reciting the words, her gaze looked serious. To me it seemed like she’s looking at me like a prey. I need to at least let her know that I am not the type she could push around. 

“What if I said no?” I asked her, trying to push her limits. I wanted to know why she’s being so pushy all of a sudden when she’s usually not like this. I remember she’d usually understand whatever I say. Is she going through a rebel phase or something? 

“Then I’ll have to kiss you.” She answers without skipping a beat. 

I look at her, my eyes are wider than ever. I have always thought that the first time we kissed was a fluke and that maybe, just maybe, whatever happened at Jihyo unnie’s rest house was just a dream. I just stared at her and she’s just staring at me too, none of us was willing to break eye contact with each other. I feel my heart rate rise by just looking at her, her lips, her eyes, her face, her. Myoui Mina.

I just stare at her, not sure what to do next. 

But I see her, beautiful Myoui Mina looking at me and I couldn’t help myself. The controller on my left hand felt bigger, somehow heavier. The awkward silence can be felt in the air, no one was around, it’s only the two of us. Even with the game controller growing heavy on my right hand, I was able to lift it up and look her in the eye. I saw her brief glance at the controller, she turned her gaze to me again. 

Without thinking of the precautions, I dropped the controller on the carpeted floor. The moment the controller landed on the floor, it made a noise. 

Thud. 

I just look at her and I hope she understood what I meant. Indeed, I do. I want her to kiss me. 

“Fuck.” Mina mumbled under her breath and dropped her controller too. Everything happened so fast as if lighting striking land. Mina pulled me by the collar and kissed me, roughly. Unlike our last kiss, this one had got me gasping for air. 

As our lips wrestled, I couldn’t think properly. So many things ran inside my mind and there was so little that I could do. But one thing kept me grounded, it was Mina’s lips pressing on mine. Her soft, tender lips pressed to mine. I admittedly couldn’t get enough of her, Mina. Myoui Mina. 

Without thinking, I grabbed her too. Almost too easily, the seconds where our lips were apart are no more. I can feel her, everything about her, her lips especially her tongue. She knows. This isn’t her first time, I know, cause this isn’t my first time too. Just as I was enjoying her, Myoui Mina, she halts and she gave me this look. A look which made my heart almost skip a beat. 

_Is she going to stop again? Fuck._

“Straddle me.” She said this with Conviction. I’ve never seen her like this, this eager. I never thought she’d be this eager. Her eyes, they usually pierce through me but this time her gaze is not soft nor piercing. I just stared at her, I’m almost out of breath and I couldn’t believe she wants more. Now I’ve figured it out, why she’s looking at me like this. 

_She wants me._

Like the obedient girl that I am, I moved slowly, almost too shyly too, closer to her. I wasn’t looking into her eyes, I couldn’t believe what was happening. I am close to her, our faces know no boundaries, my hand on her thigh. She stared at me, a smirk plastered on her mouth. For some reason, I felt like jelly. She then shifted her gaze where my hands are and then her gaze back to me.

“Huh, someone’s touchy." She smiled at me, too slyly too. 

I couldn’t help myself, maybe it’s the way she said it, or maybe the way she looked, maybe the way she tasted, or maybe the way she smelled. For now, I don’t what drove me almost crazy that I immediately hopped on her, softly, locking my legs behind her. Our eyes locked, my breathing slow and I am just anticipating what's next. 

“You’re nice.” she slowly caressed my cheeks, running her fingers from my cheek down to my nape almost too easily. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had this type of human contact in a while that I instantly got red. It feels good, her touch, I want more.

_I have too many inhibitions towards Mina. I won’t let these damn thoughts ruin this moment for me._

My hands instantly pulled her close to me, her face close to my neck and that’s when she started doing her work. I couldn’t do much but just breathe heavily as she started to plant kisses on my neck, soft kisses, hard kisses, sloppy kisses, and I even felt her bite me playfully. I do not know whether it’s the alcohol or it’s the fact that we’re alone that’s why she’s acting this way. Has she always wanted to do this? I couldn't help it, but whatever she’s doing right now makes my mind go blank.

“Is it okay?” I hear her mumble under her breath, she’s pulling away to look me in the eye. I was just breathing heavily, all hot and dazed. I just stared at her, her beautiful eyes suggested she’s asking for my approval. 

I just nod at her shyly. I felt myself become shy when she asked for my approval. I just look away, not sure where to look. 

“Hey.” Mina calls my attention, her voice has become magnetic with enough volume for both of us to understand what was going on. I immediately look at her, not saying anything. “I want you to look at me.” she says this as she placed her hands on my back, gently. She’s doing this to soothe me.

“Okay.” I reply, and I just stare at her lips. She smiles and she closes the distance between us once more and I feel her soft lips against mine again and I just couldn’t help but kiss her back too, almost a little too roughly too. 

As we continued to kiss, I felt her hands start to move inside my shirt. Her hands, moving and doing their own thing on my back. I couldn’t really tell because I was too distracted with all the kisses I am getting. She started to trail kisses from my lips to my neck. 

_Fuck._

“God.” I moaned, I couldn’t help it. My eyes rolled back and that’s when I felt my bra strap unhook. I gasp, and I stop. I just stare at her, my face almost as red as a tomato. She stares at me and she softly chuckles at my reaction and I start smiling too. 

“You’re good. Really good.” I chuckle, I couldn’t help it. 

“Let’s remove this.” She gestures at my one-piece dress. She whispers this, a little too softly. But no, she doesn’t sound soft like the usual soft Mina. 

_I nod at her._

She worked her way through the zipper of my dress, skillfully taking my dress off of me like it was her art. I just stared at her and how delicate she’s handling me. I couldn’t help but feel more intense feelings for her. Is what’s happening too much? Is this dangerous for me? Candy is bad for me but I eat it anyway. Now my dress is completely off, I didn’t wince once. 

She dropped my dress on the floor, leaving me only in my underwear. She had this smile on her lips, and to say that I am extremely turned on is an understatement. 

“Good girl.” She whispers as she starts to kiss my chest, my bra still on me but it’s barely hanging. Moans escaped my mouth even though I did my best to stay quiet, I couldn’t help it. Myoui Mina, she’s good. She’s really good. 

As she planted kisses on my almost exposed chest, I couldn’t myself. I couldn’t stop moving my hips, that’s when I started grinding too. 

Mina pauses for a while and she stares at me, she smiles at me playfully. “You’re like this, huh?” she chuckles and that’s when she stares at my loosely hanging bra, not too loose that one can see everything but loose enough to maybe make her want more. “Lie down so I can do more.” She commands.

As I was about to lay myself down, we heard Sana and Tzuyu knocking on the door. They were calling to us from outside.

“Why is the door locked?!” They sound dumbfounded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was that? Did you guys enjoy that? Should I write more scenes like this or should I leave things like this to your imagination? I'm completely torn but I just wanted you guys to have a taste of how I write smut. I know I have a lot to improve with my smut writing skills but I'll be better next time! Anyway, if you want to shout at me please do it in the comment section. Have a nice day!


	21. Don't wear Yeezys when you go hiking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've temporarily deactivated my Stan twitter account but that doesn't mean I will not be updating. Enjoy this chapter!

**Yoo Jeongyeon’s Point of View**

“Do you think this is really necessary?” Momo asks me as I pack things in my bag, I didn’t pack much. I just packed some essentials for a one day trip. Jihyo stood right by my door, she’s leaning on the door frame. I just sighed, I also wasn’t sure. 

“Is Dahyun awake?” I ask them, ignoring Momo’s question. 

“She’s asleep, Jeong.” Answers Park Jihyo, she smiles weakly at me. I just smile back, I then close my small bag. Momo was seated on the edge of my bed, she’s just there staring at me. Momo had this curious look on her face, she doesn’t understand what was going on. Only Jihyo knew, I guess Miss Park knows the secrets that these four corners hold. 

“Pabo, you know it’s your birthday tomorrow. Why would you go on a trip all by yourself? It doesn’t make any sense.” Momo says this, she sounded frustrated. I just smiled at her, leaned in, and ruffled her hair. 

“Are you telling me not to go then?” I jokingly asked Momo, she just smirked. Jihyo was just there standing right by the door frame. She just listened intently. She knows where I am going. 

“At least be careful, will you?” Momo smiles weakly and I nod. I know what she means, she’s just been very worried lately. I then grabbed my bag and wore it. It was a leather bag, with essentials inside. 

“Yeah, I’ll be careful. Don’t worry so much about me.” I assure her, I walk towards Jihyo. She smiles at me and hands me the keys for her mercedes. 

“Please be careful, Jeongyeon.” She said this sternly. I knew what she meant. She didn’t mean to take care of her car, she meant a completely different thing. I just smiled and nodded.

“Why are these losers acting like I’m going away forever? I’ll be back tomorrow!” I laugh. I feel Momo put her arm around me. I just smile at her, she doesn’t know where I’ll be going though. “Just tell Dahyun I’ll be back tomorrow. You know how much that girl overreacts.” I remind them. 

“I’m worried about that girl too. She’s been withdrawn lately. It feels as if I do not know what goes on in this house.” Whispers Jihyo and we just nod. Many things have happened, everything’s been quite sad lately. I then walk out and am greeted by Jihyo’s Mercedes parked right outside of our dormitory. Right before I enter the car, I stop and look at the dorm next door. 

“Don’t forget to check on them from time to time.” I told them, the both of them just nod. This gave me the confidence that they both would look after the kids next door. 

Tomorrow will be my birthday, I will be turning 23. I’ve spent most of my birthdays with my friends since I’ve moved to the dorms. Every year, someone new comes along. A new addition is always happiness for all of us. So far though, this year must be one of the most difficult birthdays I have to go through. 

It was dawn when I woke up, I knew I’d go and visit Nayeon before my birthday. I knew I would do this, I’ve promised her. I’ve promised her right before we left weeks ago, I know she’s been lonely. We haven't gotten a call from her since, but we all understood. She’s going through stuff and it’s normal for her to isolate herself first. But you see, I’ve promised to come and visit her. Actually, my visit has been long overdue and I just think the poor girl needs some company. 

At first Jihyo never knew what was happening, I mean, Nayeon and I were pretty chill about things. Even though there was tension between us, we always kept things where they should be. When Nayeon and I fought, the fight was just between us. We don’t share it to others because we know that by doing so, we’d only create a divide in our group of friends. We both know better. 

Anyway, I never told Jihyo the full extent of why I’m leaving in such a hurry. I just looked at her and told her that I needed to borrow her car. Park Jihyo was the understanding type of person, you don’t have to tell her everything. She’s the type who would just know that you’re going through things. It’s as if, with just one look, she understood why I needed to go and see Nayeon. I never have to go through details with her. She doesn’t push, she just lets you share what you can. She’s that type of person. 

The drive from the City to where Nayeon’s grandmother resides is a decent drive if one left the city at dawn. That’s why I decided to leave at dawn, I just don’t want to go through such stupid traffic. It was troublesome enough that I had to go and make all this effort to see that person. I don’t want to give myself a headache by going through traffic. Please, I still love myself. 

The drive was easy, the only thing that I had to deal with was being sleepy so I had to stop at a convenience store and drink coffee. 

“God, all the things I do for you I'm Nayeon.” I whispered to myself begrudgingly as I sip on my hot cup of coffee. I don’t even know why I’m doing this, none of this made sense. Well, I mean, whatever. My whole life doesn’t make sense either so why would I try to make sense of things around me?

* * *

I arrived at Nayeon’s place at around 10 am. I mean, it was her grandma’s place but whatever. Just like the last time I visited, the place wasn’t overpopulated. Halmeoni’s house was situated only two hundred steps away from the beach. I would like to wake here and watch the sunrise. That would be a dream. Anyway, as I pulled up I saw her grandmother’s house. I walked to their door and knocked. Not more than ten seconds later, Halmeoni greets me with the biggest hug. 

“Oh my goodness, if it isn't our Jeongie.” She hugs me and I hug her back. “What brings you here?” She asks me.

“Halmeoni, I came here to visit Nayeon. Is she awake now?” I ask her politely. I kind of expected she’s still asleep because that’s what she does, she’s always asleep. 

“Ah, that girl’s been awake since around six in the morning?” Halmeoni corrects me. This makes me feel a little off-guard. “She’s not here if that's your question.” She adds.

“Oh.” was all I could say. 

“Go check the beach, I’m sure she’s there. She hangs out there a lot.” She motions for the beach. I thank her and head out. 

The beach wasn’t far away, but I know she’s hanging out in the secret spot. It’s not that much further but the place sure is secure. Maybe she just wants to be alone, I’d be the same if I was in the same situation. As I walked towards the spot, I just felt this tight feeling inside me. 

_ I haven’t spoken and seen her in a while.  _

What should I say? Should I jump up and down the moment I see her? Should I go and throw sand at her? No, that’s stupid. I just feel so nervous right now that I don’t know what to do. I just wonder if she would feel excited seeing me too. I just hope she’s doing fine, I haven’t heard from her. 

As I walk the beach I can hear the waves crashing, it wasn’t a hot day nor was it a cold day. The weather was perfect. As I approached our spot, I saw her figure. She wasn’t facing me, which made everything more exciting. 

_ This is it, I haven’t seen this brat in weeks. This is it. _

I closed my distance and just stood behind her, forming a silhouette that made her turn around to face me. The moment our eyes met, I knew, I knew I needed to see her. Her eyes became wide and she just jumped from where she was seated and just hugged me. Im Nayeon was all over me, none of us said anything. We just hugged each other and that’s when she pulled away and stared at me. 

I feel as if my heart sank, deep deep down the ocean. Her beautiful eyes sparkled like when the sun hits the sea. She had the biggest smile too and I couldn’t help myself from just smiling. No word escaped my mouth. 

“You’re here.” Her voice broke when she said this, her eyes were welling up. 

“I promised you I’ll be back, right?” I laughed and just held her, I’ve never held her this long before. It just feels so natural, it doesn’t even bother me at all. To hold her, I never thought it would be this easy. 

“Thank you.” She dives in for another hug and I just knew that visiting her was a good choice. I just soothed her by rubbing my hands circularly on her back, I just sigh. How could I have not visited earlier? 

“Hey, come on. I’ve got lots of things to give you, I already saw Halmeoni too.” I chuckled and that’s when she pulled away. We started walking back to her place, we just walked alongside with each other not really holding hands but I would casually glance at her from time to time. 

I looked stupid in my pants and rubber shoes, I can’t believe I let myself look like a sore thumb in the beach. I should’ve at least worn something else. 

“Halmeoni, Jeongyeon came to visit me.” Nayeon gleefully shouts when she enters the house.

“Oh, Jeongyeon! I have a hard time convincing that girl to stay inside. She’s always out there hanging by the beach all by herself.” Grandma says this as she peeks through the kitchen door, she’s probably preparing lunch. So I walked over to the kitchen and just let Nayeon do her own thing in her room. 

“Is that lunch, Halmeoni?” I gleefully ask her. 

“Yes, I hope you like Kimchi Stew cause that’s what I’m cooking for lunch.” She smiles and I just nod. Then the scent of sauteed onions wafted in the kitchen and I just had to smile. The place was gorgeous, the interior design looked magnificent and honestly I could spend a summer here.

“Halmeoni.” Nayeon softly calls out to her grandmother. I look back and notice that she had changed clothes, hiking clothes. 

“What are you wearing?” I asked her, I was obviously taken aback. Halmeoni just chuckled, and tugged at the hem of my shirt. 

“These days she’s been hiking a lot.” Halmeoni replies. 

Hiking? She’s hiking? She shouldn’t be hiking. Hiking should be the number one activity that Im Nayeon should be avoiding right now. What the hell is this girl even thinking? Does she even care about her life? I just smiled at Halmeoni, I will talk to Nayeon later. As Halmeoni prepared for lunch, we told her that we were going someplace and that we will be back before dinner. She agreed and off we went. 

* * *

“Hiking?” I blurted out as soon as I started the car’s engine. I know I sounded a little mean but she needs some good scolding. She just gave me this mocking look, as if she doesn’t want to listen to anything that I had to say. I just stared at her, warning her that I am not joking at all. 

“Wow, I kind of wish you don’t make it sound like hiking is such a bad thing.” She rolls her eyes at me. I just sigh in frustration. This girl is really hard headed, I swear to god. 

“Dude, stop acting like a kid. You know hiking isn’t something that you should be doing.” I tell her seriously. The reason why I am very against hiking is because we both know she’s not from around here which means she doesn’t know the place very much. She should at least be precautious about the things that she’s doing. 

“Well, I was so bored I couldn’t help myself.” Nayeon answers shyly. 

“You know why you’re here, right? It’s to keep you safe. If you’re running around just hiking and shit, what's the point of keeping you safe?” I angrily tell her, she was just too much. All of this was too much. 

“Stop being so grumpy. It’s your birthday tomorrow.” She whispers. 

I just nod, I was actually taken aback that she remembers. I just look at the road while driving, I don't really know what else to say. I just drive and let the stereo do it’s thing. Not more than twenty minutes later, we arrive at our destination. It is true that Im Nayeon was currently in the countryside but of course, there were shops there too. Just a little over 30 minutes from where her grandmother resides is the Center of their City. It wasn’t as busy and as loud as Seoul but the City center was nice. 

Shops, Cafes, and restaurants were all over the place. It wasn’t that bad, I could definitely live here. At first I thought that Nayeon was going to live in such a remote area but it turns out that her grandma’s place was just a little secluded. It was almost 11 when we arrived and we both agreed to have lunch. 

* * *

“Yah, tell the others they’re not my friends anymore.” She pouts as she sips on her Iced coffee. We had just finished lunch and decided to hang out at a cafe and talk. She looked like a kid, pouting like that. I just had to shake my head and laugh.

“Why? Because I’m the only one visiting?” I chuckled. I saw her nod her head enthusiastically, whipped cream was on the corner of her mouth. I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. I really had to grab a tissue and hand it to her. “You’re acting like you haven’t had good coffee in a while.” I laugh as I motion her to wipe her mouth. She suddenly looked sad and she just smiled weakly.

“It’s because I haven’t.” She answered. I just stare at her, feeling sorry for the girl. Wishing that I could at least make things better for her. But I’m no superman, I just do what I can to make her smile and that’s it. 

“Ah, so that’s why you’ve been acting crazy and just going on hikes?” I sarcastically ask her. She turns red. She laughs at my sarcasm. I crossed my arms and let her know that I wasn’t kidding at all and that I was being serious. 

“I’m sorry, okay? I won’t do it again. I promise.” She shrugs and she just continues to drink her coffee. She also ordered a cookie and I just slid the plate over to her, somehow telling her to have the cookie.

“You better be sorry because who the hell wears Yeezys when hiking?” I ask her laughing, she just gave me a distasteful look. I know she’s annoyed with me but she can’t stop me. 

“You’re such a hater, I swear to god you hate me more than you love me.” She blurts out. I just stare at her, she used to say that all the time. I missed it and I am thankful that she’s saying it once again. I smile and just sip on my coffee. 

“Goodness, just stop wearing Yeezys when hiking. You look lost.” I tell her honestly. 

* * *

We spent our time together until it was around 6 pm. How did we do it? Honestly, I also do not know. You see, when I spend time with her it’s as if time isn’t even there. You know when I spend time with people I don’t like, I just feel this dread. But when I spend time with people who are dear to me, time just goes by so fast. 

After talking in the cafe, we both just strolled through the park and we also entered some stores just checking some stuff. We laughed, asked how each other is doing, and just anything under the sun really. To see her smile like the way she smiled before everything happened, just made me heart full. To see Im Nayeon cheekily smile again made me the happiest idiot, and the saddest thing about this is I don’t know how to express my happiness around her.

* * *

“You look horrible.” I tell her, trying to hide a smile. She just stares at me and gives me this begrudging look as if she hates me. 

“I know you find me funny, Yoo. Just say it. It’s not too hard.” She smiles at me as we walk through the bookshelves in the local bookstore. I smile, trying not to show her that she’s indeed right. 

“Leave me alone, Im. I traveled all the way here so be grateful.” I tell her jokingly and she just sticks her tongue out. I just gave her a blank stare, I just hate how I can’t react properly. But whatever, it doesn’t matter. 

“You came to see me all by yourself, don’t try to pin that on me, Yoo.” She winked at me and then she continued to browse for books she could buy. I just stay quiet, because she’s right. I came here because I wanted to. 

* * *

After hanging out in the library, we decided to drive home. When we arrived home, Halmeoni greeted us both. It was little past 6pm so there really wasn’t much to do. Nayeon’s grandma already had dinner and told us that she left food for us and if we ever are hungry, we can just have some since the leftovers are in the kitchen. Nayeon and I just decided to hang out on the beach, her grandma’s house can be seen since it was well lit plus it was like less than two hundred steps away.

* * *

“I bought these when I stopped at a convenience store this morning.” I had her a bag full of assorted chocolates. She stared at the items with a big smile on her face. I just look over the sea, the tides are coming in now and the air has become colder but it’s fine since Halmeoni helped us make a small campfire. I lean a little close to the fire to warm my hands. 

“You didn’t have to.” She sounded a little sorry when she said this. 

“Don’t assume that I stopped at a convenience store just to buy you chocolates.” I answered her immediately. 

“You had to buy other stuff too, right?” She asked me correctly as she opened a packet of Almond covered chocolates. I nod at her. 

“Yeah, I had to buy coffee. Because if I didn’t, I would have probably crashed or something.” I answer her honestly, I just stare at her. I reach my hand out to ask for some chocolate. She then gave me a piece and she smiled like a kid. Great. 

“You could’ve contacted me right before you decided to visit me.” She says this as if she was dissatisfied. 

“I can visit whenever I want.” I answer her back stubbornly. 

“It’s your birthday in a few minutes. Why visit today?” She asked me, she sounded serious. I just shrug at her, not really sure how to answer her question. 

“I’m free today that’s why. What’s up with all these questions? Damn.” I might have seemed annoyed because Nayeon gave me this look, as if she wasn’t pleased with my answer. 

“Aren’t you going to stay over?” She asked me. I just look at her because I know that’s not possible. “It’s almost midnight, Yoo Jeongyeon. Are you seriously going to drive home tonight?” She asked me. I can hear disbelief in her voice. 

“Yeah, that’s how this works. I didn’t bring anything extra for tonight.” I answer her honestly. She just nodded, it seemed like she was a little disappointed but she just shrugged it off. 

“Thank you for visiting me today though.” She smiled weakly. 

“You’re welcome. Can I visit for another time?” I ask her. 

“Sure, that sounds great!” Nayeon exclaimed, she seemed happy and I just couldn’t help but smile too. 

“Maybe I could bring the others too.” I add, her face lit up and that’s when she smiled so widely. “You’d like that, huh?” I asked her.

“Yes.” She smiled. “I’m happy. Thank you for today.” She added. Her smile, to call it beautiful is an understatement. 

“That’s good, that is what’s important.” I just replied, trying to best not to look at her directly. 

“I’m happy that even just for a day, it felt like things are okay. It felt like we’re friends again.” She smiled at me wistfully. 

“We were never enemies.” I reply jokingly. Because it’s true, I never remembered a time that we ever became enemies. What is going on inside her head?

“But we're also never the same.” She replied, she didn’t sound hurt. She sounded plain, as if she’s just stating a fact. She sounded calm and just really laid back. I stared at her, I wanted to say more. Thoughts flood my head but just like how the story goes, I can’t really express myself. 

_ In all honesty, I want Im Nayeon to come back home.  _

“Something happened.” I answered her. She just stared at me. The little campfire was in between us and she was sitting across me. What if she already has come to terms with the things that I have told her weeks ago?

“Many things happened, Indeed.” She smiled weakly. 

“Do you think you’ll be back soon?” I asked her, that was the question which always bothered me. The question has lingered inside my head for quite some time now. She stared at me and gave me this look. She seemed unsure as well.

“I’ll see.” She replies solemnly.

“See on what?” I asked her. I know I sound very selfish and I know I should not have asked her that question. 

“I don’t know. Why are you asking me this anyway?” She asks me.

“Cause I’m curious?” I answered her, though I know it was a complete lie. I waited for her to ask me more questions but she just kept quiet. Im Nayeon isn’t usually like this, I was ready for her to ask me another question but I got nothing. “So, I hope you’re having a good time here.” I try to prolong our conversation.

“Well, Halmeoni has been a very nice company. But, it’s just lonely out here.” She replied and it broke my heart. A girl her age deserves to go around and have fun. She doesn’t deserve to be relocated to another area just because of some jerk. 

“I can come visit every chance I get.” I assure her. 

“Thank you.” She smiled at me. 

We were silent for a while after that, we just stared at the moon and sea. Words aren't spoken but her presence was enough. She made me feel calm and good inside, I just wish she’d come back to Seoul. We sat quietly, enjoying the heat the mini campfire provided for us. The sounds of the waves crashing on the shore made me feel relieved, I wish she felt relieved too. But I could only wish, that is all that I can do for now.

* * *

“Hey, congratulations. You just turned 23, Yoo. Happy birthday.” She smiled as she showed me her phone screen. It just turned exactly twelve midnight. I just smiled, I knew she would greet me. I knew. That’s why I came all the way here, I want her to be the first one to greet me. That was my wish.

“Well, congratulations to me then!” I exclaimed as I stood up and cleaned off the excess sand on my pants. “I have to drive home now.” I smile at her.

“What? Are you serious?” She sounded annoyed but I just smiled at her. I reached my hand out to her and motioned her to stand up. 

“Come on, walk me to the car.” I tell her. I can hear her whining as we walked to the car, it wasn’t that far away. The walk felt heavy, as if my legs wanted me to stay with her. But I have to go, I promised Jihyo that I’ll be back. 

“You know you can just sleep over, right? You can borrow my clothes.” She offers me. I just smiled at her, I shook my head as we reached the car. I opened the door and just stood there, I wanted to get a good look at her before I left for Seoul. 

“Grandma’s asleep already.” She stared at her house, I looked back and stared too. I nodded, as I sign that I know. 

“Yeah, I guess she is.” I reply, trying to fill in the silence. She just stared and I felt this uneasy feeling inside me, my heart thumping and I feel as if I’ve grown a new heart inside my throat. “Yah, Im Nayeon.” I try to call her attention.

“Yeah?” She replied.

“Try to think of the reason why I came all the way here.” I smiled at her.

“At this point, I don’t want to think of any reason besides you’re just being nice.” She replies.

“Shallow girl.” I reply and proceed to cup both her cheeks. She just stared, like a kid. She didn’t say anything. That’s when I leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. Her soft lips, I have always thought about it ever since that night at the bar. She didn’t resist, none of us did. We both knew that this is what we want. The moment I broke from the kiss, I see her just staring at me. She seemed dumbfounded. A little dazed and confused, maybe. 

“Well, I have to go now. See you soon.” I smiled, pat her head, and proceeded to get in my car.

No words came out of her mouth but I knew what that meant. At Least now she knows how I feel about her. I am happy that Im Nayeon knows that I have reconciled with my feelings. That night, I drove my way back to Seoul as someone who isn’t a coward. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stan twitter used to make me happy, but lately, I've been feeling so much anxiety so I left. Of course, I will go back. Writing has always been something that made me feel calm and happy even though it's just for past time. I've never been to writing workshops and I also hated literature and my English subjects. I hope my whatever I'm feeling right now does not ruin my love for writing.


	22. Your dreams aren't yours

**Park Jihyo’s Point of View**

“I swear to god, Daniel if you don’t hurry up.” I warn Daniel, I obviously wanted to sound serious because if I don’t then the boy would just be damn slow. He looked up at me, he gave me a cute smile. He’s trying to tie his shoes, but he’s so damn slow!

“Please be patient, love. The ability to tie shoes is very important.” He laughed as he finished looping his laces. He gave me this gummy smile, his eyes disappeared and then I knew, I forgive the boy. 

“Important to what, exactly?” I asked him, I was tired. I had no time for his petty excuses. I swear to god if I had no feelings for the boy I would’ve left him a long time ago. He just smiled and put his arm around me. He’s very tall, he towered over me, I felt his heavy arms and I gave him a dirty look. He just smiled as he kissed the top of my head. 

“You smell good, shorty. What are we up to today?” He asks me, he’s looking at me with those gorgeous eyes. I just shrug.

“Dude, I was only going to buy ingredients for Jeong’s birthday.” I tell him unenthusiastically. He didn’t have to come to my place honestly. But he kept on insisting that we should go do the shopping together, it didn’t make sense. 

“Dude? Who the hell is dude?” He had this disappointed look on his face as we walked to the nearest shop where ingredients would be available. 

“What is it this time, Kang Daniel?” I asked him, I was pretending to be annoyed to see how he’d react. He just pouted.

“I am not dude. You don’t get to call me dude. I am baby. Call me baby, Park Jihyo, or else.” he tried his best to look like he was threatening me but he ultimately failed to do so. I just playfully roll my eyes at him. 

“Or else what?” I gave him this playful gaze and he turned red instantly. I just chuckle at the sight of Kang Daniel instantly turning tomato. 

“Nothing!” he just shrugged and rolled his eyes at me. I chuckle at the sight because he looked really sassy. I just reached for his hand instead and held it. “Besides, I missed you. I haven’t seen you in a while.” He muttered under his breath.

“Okay, okay. I understand your point sir.” I tell him. He seemed content with the idea that we go to a shop together and buy ingredients for Jeong’s birthday. I mean, it’s not much but I appreciate that he’s like this. 

“Sir?” He asked me, he seemed annoyed.

“I understand your point, babe.” I corrected myself and reached for his cheeks to give him a kiss. He smiled a wide smile. Goddamit, I can’t believe that I’m dating a big baby.

“Oh, anyway. How’s the situation with Nayeon?” He asked me as we both entered the supermarket, grabbing a basket on our way inside. “Is one enough, babe?” He asked.

“Ah, I think we’ll need two but let’s worry about that later.” I replied. I mean, I know the ingredients won’t fit in one basket but we’ll see. He stared at me as if waiting for my answer about the Nayeon situation. “Not much information about Nayeon, she hasn’t really contacted us since we left her there.” I replied. I’m honestly sad that Nayeon somehow cut all ties with us, but it’s for the best. 

“Wouldn’t she miss you guys or something?” He asked as we walked the aisle for Vegetables. I just stared at him, I honestly don’t know how she’s doing right now. He motioned me if he should grab some spring onions and I just nod. 

“Oh, I do not know. Jeongyeon visited her yesterday though. Girly literally came back at the crack of dawn.” I chuckled. 

“Oh, so Jeongie at least visited her. That’s good babe, Nayeon must feel really alone over there.” He sighed as he reached for a pack of carrots. He held it up, asking me if he should put it in. I just nod. 

“Hold up, Jeongie? You call her Jeongie?” I try to hold back my laughter. He just stared at me like I’m some kind of a joke.

“She’s my bro, we play video games when I come over. You’re just jealous we’re friends!” He sticks his tongue out and I roll my eyes at him. I can’t believe I’m dating a big sassy baby. Who would've thought Kang Daniel, a heartthrob in the Engineering department in Yonsei University would turn out like this? I didn’t. 

“Whatever. Can you grab two packs of bacon, please?” I ask him as I tick items off of our checklist. He obliged and we continued shopping for ingredients. 

* * *

Buying the ingredients didn’t take that long, we both were in and out of there within thirty minutes? It’s actually quite nice the boy volunteered to come with me during shopping. He’s currently carrying the bags, I mean, he’s obviously quite strong plus we didn’t buy that much.

_But I just feel bad letting him carry all this stuff._

“Tsk, I told you we should’ve just used my car.” I tell him, I feel sorry looking at him carrying all that stuff. “Come on, gimme the lighter one. I’ll help you carry.” I tell him as I motion for him to give it to me. 

“Here you go.” He hands me the lighter one, I smile because he doesn’t hesitate. “Plus, using your car would be a total waste. We’re like twenty minutes away from your dorm.” He insists, and I just stare at him. 

“A twenty-minute walk is still a twenty-minute walk, Kang Daniel.” I tell him while we were on our way back to the dorm. He just shrugs and we continue to walk. I mean, this man is insufferable but whatever, he’s my boyfriend so I’ll just have to bear with his stubbornness. 

“Babe, I’m kind of thirsty.” He starts complaining not more than five minutes into our walk. I just stared at him, annoyed this time. He just pouted and gave me this stare. “I can’t control it, babe. It’s not my fault my throat’s a little dry!” He defends himself, I just stare at him. This guy is taking so much time. 

“Here you go. Buy yourself some water over there.” I hand him the money and point at the convenience store which is steps away. He just smiled and he gladly took the money. “You’re going to help me prepare the food, I swear to god.” I warn him but he just happily strides inside the store. 

No more than two minutes later, he came out of the store with the most confused look on his face. With a half-full water bottle in his hand, he walked towards me. He seemed to be quite confused. 

“Want some water?” He asked me, still all confused. I stared at him and asked him what’s up and he just looked at me and looked back at the convenience store with all the confused pointing.

“What is it?” I ask him. 

“Well, you know your friend Sana?” He asked me, Daniel looked a little dumbfounded. 

“Of course I know Sana. What are you talking about, Dani?” I asked him, he just stared at me blankly. 

“So she works there, huh?” He asked me. I just stare at him. What is he talking about? Sana is supposed to be at school right now. I just stare at him, dumbfounded. He stared at me too and that’s when he realized I did not know any of this. “Holy shit! Maybe that’s why she looked shocked when I greeted her! And you didn’t know about this?” He asked me and I just stared at him some more. 

“Can you please show me?” I asked him nicely. With grocery in our hands, Daniel guides me to the convenience store. At first I didn’t want to just barge in the convenience store since this might shock her. So me and Dani just kept a good amount of distance where we can just see her. 

“Baby, are you sure you don’t want to go inside?” He asked me. 

“No, babe. There must be a reason why she kept all of this to herself.” I tell him honestly. He just stared at me and I knew he understood what I meant. Dani and I looked stupid because we were hiding behind a bush. 

After the whole shebang with Sana, Daniel and I decided that it was best if we just go back to my apartment and prepare for Jeongyeon’s Mini Celebration. At first the brat wanted to play video games with Jeong in the living room. But I reminded him of his promise that he'd help me cook.

* * *

Preparing the food wasn’t that bad since the girls from the other dorm came over to help. Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, and Mina were nice enough to help me. That's why Daniel was able to play video games with Jeogyeon and Momo. It didn’t really take long before we were able to finish preparing everything. At around eight in the evening, everything was set, even the drinks. 

* * *

“To my bro, I wish you all the best and I hope you find true happiness.” Greets Daniel as he pours the birthday girl a toast. Everyone applauds and we all sing Jeongyeon a happy birthday, Momo swoops in to put a silly birthday hat on Jeong. 

“Ah, you look so much better with a hat!” Momo chuckles as she starts to grab a plate. She starts filling her plate with food together with everyone. Everyone was loud and just generally happy. It was nice, even Daniel is here. The boy is enjoying spending time with me even though he can’t be alone with me at the moment. 

* * *

“Hello everyone!” Sana greets us as she arrives. She’s the one to arrive last, and everyone just invites her to sit down and eat. “Wow, Happy birthday Jeongyeon! Thank you for the food!” greets Sana as she grabs her own plate. 

“Don’t thank me, thank Jihyo and Dani. They did the grocery.” Replies Joeng as she shoves food inside her mouth, she seemed weirdly enthusiastic but still, I know that Nayeon not being here is something that is bugging her. “Besides, I didn’t really want to celebrate this year but these brats were insistent.” She chuckles and I knew what she meant by that. 

“Yah, Jeongyeon unnie. I know you’re enjoying this, you don’t have to deny it!” Chaeyoung chuckles as she shoves more food in her mouth. She made a big mess by getting Kimchi juice on her shirt. Mina notices this and the kind girl hands Chaeyoung some tissues. 

“Happy birthday, pabo. I hope you enjoyed your day.” I tell Jeongyeon as I scoot over to her and give her the biggest hug. Jeongyeon seemed a little down, but I can’t blame her. Having to celebrate her birthday with us being incomplete is something to be a little upset about. 

Jeongyeon and Nayeon have known each other the longest. The both of them go way back, I mean both of them are the oldest anyway so that makes sense. They even attended the same high school together. Everything that’s happening lately is taking a toll on us. Everyone has been tired, wary, and just overall unmotivated to do anything. I understand them, completely. 

“I know things have been difficult lately.” Out of nowhere, Dahyun spoke. I haven’t really heard her talk the whole night. She just helped me prepare all the things but she seemed uninterested with interacting so we just let her be. She sounded serious. 

“It has been difficult, things haven’t been well.” Replies Sana, we all turn our gaze to her. I noticed that her usual upbeat self wasn’t present. She seemed beat, just overall tired. She sounded down. 

“Well, that is true.” Replies Tzuyu softly, she seemed to be careful with whatever she had to say. Everyone just stared, we all seem to be calculating what to say. I just stare at them, I feel so helpless because I couldn’t do anything about the situation. 

“I know I haven’t formally said anything about any of what's happening.” Says Chaeyoung out of nowhere. I stare at her, feeling sorry because it did seem like she’s been blaming herself for the whole situation. “I just want to say I am sorry. If it wasn’t for me, none of this would’ve happened.” She looked down, she sounded really beaten. I just sigh, my heart breaks for the little girl. None of this is any of her fault. 

“Chaeng-ah, nobody wanted for any of this to happen. That jerk would’ve figured out another way to know our address. None of this is your fault, okay? Please don’t think that way.” Says Momo softly as she pats Chaeyoung’s head. 

“I know, I just wish I could do something.” Chaeyoung replies. 

“Stay inside the dormitory and never leave the dorm alone. That’s the best thing you could do right now.” replies Mina sternly. We all look at her, she has a point. She’s right. We all need to huddle up and be together. 

“I just Nayeon unnie.” Says Sana. She looked down, she seemed really stressed. Everyone just stared. We all miss Nayeon unnie. None of this should happen. 

“I miss her too, Sana. I miss her too.” Replies Jeongyeon, I feel her reach for my hand. She wants me to hold her hand, so I held her hand. This is the least that I could do for her. 

“Anyway, we have Dani here. I feel safer that your boyfriend is here, Jihyo .” Says Momo jokingly. I see some of us smile, which was a good sign. 

“At your service, ladies.” He smiles and he does this salute sign. “I’ll be ready to beat that asshole up if I catch him.” He says this seriously, and I just had to look at him and smile. I mean, who could ask for more. 

“This may sound lame but, I just wish I could rewind things.” Says Dahyun, she sounded serious. She doesn’t look up though, she’s just staring at the floor. “I just wish I could do things right.” She replies. 

“I miss Nayeon unnie.” Declares Mina. 

* * *

The dormitory has become really silent. I prepared a birthday party for Jeongyeon so that we all could gather and just have a nice time together. But I guess, it’s too much to ask for things to become normal just for a short while. I just sigh, I feel my heart become increasingly heavy. Everyone was silent, nobody dared to speak. All of a sudden, we hear our doorknob juggling. We all lift our head up and stare at each other. 

“What the hell is that?” Asks someone, I do not know who because I was also taken aback by the doorknob jiggling. 

“It’s ten in the evening, who the hell could it be?” Asks Daniel. He seemed irritated. He’s become very protective lately. 

“Momo, did you invite your boyfriend over?” Mina asks Momo. Momo just stared at Mina and shrugged. 

“I uh, no. What are you talking about? I don’t got no boyfriend.” Says Momo directly. She looked around and stared at Daniel. “Dani, you should go check it. We’ll be right behind you.” She raises her idea.

“Babe, you got those peephole thingies. Right?” He looked at me and I shook my head. We don’t have those. But he just shook his head and stood up, we walked slowly towards the door while everyone followed behind him. When we got to the door, he stared back at us for a while. “Don’t you guys want to call the police?” He asked, he seemed a little shaken. 

Just before he was about to open the door, we heard a familiar voice.

“Goddamit, I swear to god these women are purposely trying to ignore me.” Says the voice. All our ears perked up and not more than a second later everyone raced to the door, trying to open it themselves. Poor Daniel was just kicked out of their way. Finally, Jeongyeon got a hold of the doorknob and finally opened the door. 

“Nayeon unnie!” Momo calls out to her.

“What took you amateurs so long to open this damn door?” Nayeon says this as if she was annoyed, but I see it in her face that she’s trying to hide her smile. Jeong just stood there, but everyone else including me hurried towards Nayeon, hugging her and asking her how she’s been. It felt as if we haven’t seen the girl in years, some were crying and because of that, even Nayeon started crying. 

* * *

**THIRD PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW**

The night started off glum, because of one person missing in their friend group, everyone seemed to have become really withdrawn. But the moment Im Nayeon showed up on their doorstep, it’s as if color has been brought back to their dormitory. It was like this joy that they couldn’t believe was happening, it’s as if they were dreaming. 

“Nayeon unnie!” Cried Sana, she hurriedly ran to Nayeon and gave the girl the biggest hug she’s given. “I can’t believe it’s you.” Whispers Sana as she playfully touches the girl to make sure what she’s seeing is the real thing. Nayeon smiled at the sight. 

“Quit hogging her, I missed her too.” Declares Momo as she tries to Shoo Sana off of Nayeon. Everyone chuckled, but it can be felt that everyone was emotional at the same time. 

“Shut up Hirai, I wasn’t able to say good bye. We woke up and were just informed she went away.” Pouts Sana, tears welling up inside her eyes. 

It was true, no one in Im Nayeon’s dorm knew she would leave for the countryside the next day. It was as if the decision was made for her. The ones who knew and planned about Nayeon’s getaway were Jihyo and Jeongyeon. It only happened that Momo also insisted on going with them. 

“Hey, you three. Aren’t you guys going to hug me?” Asks Nayeon to her three remaining roommates. Mina, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu just stared for a while until the three of them slowly walked towards the girl. Chaeyoung and Mina hugged the oldest girl at the same time. “Unnie is very sorry for not saying anything. I never knew it would go this far. I’m so sorry for leaving you guys.” Nayeon huffed, she seemed really sad about going away.

“It’s okay unnie, I know it’s been very difficult for you lately.” Says Mina as she gives Nayeon another hug. Nayeon hugged her back too.

“I missed you so much, don’t you know that? You didn’t even call.” Adds Chaeyoung as she goes in for another hug. 

“I’m so sorry. Unnie just wasn’t feeling well.” replies Nayeon as she hugged the girl.

“Don’t you know how much our dormitory felt empty?” Asks Tzuyu. Everyone stared at her, nobody expected her to say anything because everyone thought she’s not that emotional. But the truth is, Tzuyu is just like everyone. She’s human too and she feels things. She missed her older sister, tears welled up in her eyes. 

“Come here and hug me then!” Exclaimed Nayeon and everyone laughed. Tzuzyu walked slowly over to her older sister and the taller girl just melted in her unnie’s arms. Everyone just watched, with big smiles on their faces.

“I thought you’d never come back.” Sighs Tzuyu, she seemed really sad when she said this.

“You big baby, of course, I will come back. No stupid guy can come between our bond. We’re a family here and families stick together.” Says Nayeon assuringly as she hugged their youngest tighter. 

* * *

The night went on without a hitch. Of course, they invited Nayeon inside to eat. They all talked as if there was no tomorrow. It’s as if they haven’t seen the girl for years. Later that night, as a means of celebration they all decide to grab some drinks. They haven’t seen their eldest sister in more than a month plus it was Jeong’s birthday, they all think it was worth it to celebrate. 

As everyone drank and gathered around, Park Jihyo only had one thing in her mind. And that’s Sana. Ever since her boyfriend Daniel discovered the thing with Sana, Jihyo wasn’t able to properly concentrate during the day. The girl had tons of questions inside her head. Park Jihyo was wondering why Sana didn’t tell her anything. 

Park Jihyo knew that Minatozaki Sana came from a well off family and working at a convenience store isn’t an option for the girl. She knew that Sana Minatozaki isn’t the type to make such brash decisions in her life, she knew that something was going on and Park Jihyo wanted to get at the bottom of this. 

Jihyo can see Sana currently talking to Nayeon. Nayeon as of the moment wasn’t alone, everyone huddled over her. There was Chaeyoung, Mina, Momo, and Tzuyu. Dahyun and Jeongyeon on the other hand were with Daniel, playing video games. 

“Hey, baby.” Jihyo whispers to Daniel. Daniel just nods because he can’t take his eyes off the game. Jihyo understood this so the girl leaned in and whispered. “I have to go somewhere, don’t come looking for me. Okay?” Says Jihyo and the boy just nods. 

“Is that like a code for something?” Asks Dahyun who wasn’t playing but just observing. Jihyo stared at the girl weirdly, as if giving the girl a warning. 

“Shut up, Dahyun-ah.” Laughs Jeongyeon as she pauses the game. “You say anything that comes to mind, I swear. Anyway, Here you go. I have to go and join the others.” Jeongyeon hands Dahyun the controller. Jeongyeon wants to go and chat with the other girls. 

“Perfect. Come with me then, I’ll be heading over there anyway.” Says Jihyo. They walked over and they were greeted by the other girls. Jeongyeon just somehow blended in. Jihyo however, had other plans. 

Jihyo tugged on Sana’s shirt and smiled at the girl. At first Sana just stared. “Minatozaki, want to go outside and chat?” Asks Jihyo, Sana just stared but the Shiba-inu knew what was going on. Jihyo then grabbed two bottles of Soju as a social lubricant, so that things wouldn’t get so awkward between them. Jihyo’s dormitory had chairs outside where people could talk, it was perfect.

“So, what’s up?” Asks Sana in a calm manner. Jihyo just smiled at her as she popped the firs soju bottle open. Sana stared at the soju bottle and smiled. “I don’t think I would be able to converse with you properly if I drink.” chuckles Sana. 

“Fine, I’ll drink this straight out of the bottle then.” Chuckles Jihyo as she took her first glug. Sana just stared at the girl and chuckled a bit. The night was quiet, the stars were out, and the air was cold. “I just feel like we haven’t really had a nice talk in a while.” Chuckles Jihyo. 

“Well, you know.” Shrugs Sana, the girl was at loss for words. She couldn’t really explain why she hasn’t really reached out to Jihyo sooner. Sana has always viewed Jihyo as someone who she could trust. Even though Jihyo was clearly younger, the girl was oozing out with Wisdom. Sana just felt safe around the girl. 

“Are things going okay with you?” asked Jihyo, she sat down comfortably. Jihyo was trying to make Sana feel at home, this way the girl would actually open up. 

“Jisoo-ah, I just feel like everything is falling apart.” Confessed the taller girl. 

Jihyo has always known that if Sana addresses her in her birth name, there really was something going on. Jihyo just stared at Sana, she felt how broken the girl was at the moment. Jihyo wanted to know but she didn’t want to push further. 

“Anything in particular you want to open up to me?” Asked Jihyo. 

“Just one thing.” Says Sana. 

Jihyo knew it wasn’t only one thing Sana was experiencing but it was fine. As long as the girl had an outlet, that was enough for her. Jihyo nodded as a go signal for Sana to talk. Sana had this desperate look in her eyes that Jihyo was always familiar with. 

“I’ve dropped out for this semester.” Confessed Sana. Jihyo was obviously taken aback, she just felt she needed to take a swig at her soju bottle. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing but she didn’t want to overreact. Overreacting might drive Sana away. 

“You dropped out of Medical school?” Asked Jihyo again, it’s because she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sana stared and just nodded. What the girl confessed now connects all the dots. Jihyo now has some answers as to why they mysteriously see Sana working at a convenience store. “We both know it wasn’t your choice to become a doctor.” Says Jihyo calmly. 

“Exactly. That’s why I dropped off.” Sana says this as if what she did was reasonable. For Jihyo who has always been goal-driven, she thinks what Sana did was not good.

“You’re in your first semester, third year of pre-med, Minatozaki.” Jihyo said this as if her life depended on it. Sana just stared down at her feet when she heard Jihyo’s commanding voice. 

“I know.But this isn’t what I want, Jihyo.” Sana says this, tears instantly streamed down her face. 

“Do your parents still send you an allowance?” Jihyo asked this. 

“Yes.” Shame can be felt in Sana’s voice. Jihyo couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“At least tell your parents that you’ve stopped going to school. Tell them that at least.” Says Jihyo, she was disappointed. She couldn’t help it, she thinks Sana was acting like a kid. Jihyo knew that Sana needed some scolding.

“I’ve started working, Jihyo. When I earn enough, I’ll tell them. I just need to ---” Jihyo cut Sana off. 

“And what? Work as a cashier forever?” Asked Jihyo. Sana stared at her, this was not the response Sana hoped that she’d get. Jihyo stared at the girl, she couldn’t help but just be annoyed. “What do you want to be then? Tell me.” Asks Jihyo. Sana just stared at her.

“I don’t know.” Replies Sana. Jihyo couldn’t believe what she just heard. 

“Sana, sometimes it’s not just about you. Your parents just want the best for you. I know you want to hear something encouraging from me. But I’m being realistic. Just finish the degree and give them the diploma. That’s it. After that, you can do whatever you want.” Says Jihyo. Sana stared at her and that was when she knew and understood that Jihyo was right.

“But I’m a semester late now.” Says Sana. 

“Work until the next enrollment. Make a believable excuse.” Says Jihyo as she took another swig. Sana just stared at her. Sana wanted to say more but there were problems that are meant to be kept private.

_Sana knew that what really bothers her is her problem with Kim Dahyun._

* * *

  
Inside the dormitory, everyone did their own thing. Dahyun and Daniel were having fun playing their video game, unaware that both their significant others are having an important conversation. Both of them just played and enjoyed their time. 

At the other end of the room were the girls, they still surrounded Nayeon. They couldn’t help it, they missed her. 

“So, what was it like? Living near the beach for that much time?” Asked Momo, she was very curious. Nayeon smiled, she thinks the question was very cute.

“It helped me calm down, for sure. But I missed your pathetic asses so I just really had to come back.” Replies Nayeon. 

“Was there no signal over there?” Asked Tzuyu, she is still sour about the fact that her Unnie didn’t call them even once. Nayeon chuckled and explained that she just needed to be alone and that meant she didn’t use her phone that often. While everyone asked Nayeon all these questions, Jeongyeon just sat there. She didn’t say anything, she just smiled and stared at Nayeon. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She can’t believe she’s back. 

Nayeon noticed that Joengyeon just kept staring, she didn’t call the girl out though. She knew what that meant, she just acted as if she’s not seeing anything. Even Nayeon can’t believe that what drove her to come back to Seoul is Jeongyeon. She knew the moment their lips touched last night that she’d have to come back to Seoul. Immediately.

Son Chaeyoung on the other hand stared and listened to everything. She was more of an observer. “It’s good that you’re back, Nayeon unnie.” Says Mina, her voice all shy and low.

“I’m happy to be back. Come here, Mitang.” Says Nayeon as she grabbed the girl for a hug. Mina sunk in Nayeon’s arms without failing, it looked natural. When their hug broke off, Mina sat beside her unnie. This time, Mina was blushing but no one really paid that much attention. Except for Son Chaeyoung. 

Son Chaeyoung stared at Mina, not sure what just happened. And then it all became clear to the girl. If all of this happened before Mina told her she also liked girls, Chaeyoung would’ve just let it pass. But no, she’s noticed a lot of things about Mina. She noticed how Mina acts around Nayeon. Chaeyoung just stared at how Myoui Mina looked at Nayeon lovingly. Mina’s eyes were bright, she looked at Nayeon as if she was the best thing in the world. 

Chaeyoung didn’t want to believe it at first but then she remembered that one time when Mina immediately let her go when she saw Nayeon. Chaeyoung felt her heart sink, she knew it wasn’t fair for her to think like this. But somehow, deep inside her, Son Chaeyoung suspects that Myoui Mina sees Im Nayeon more than just an older sister. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been feeling a lot better. Productivity wise, well, I'm not as distracted. I still feel antsy for no reason every now and then but I know I'll be okay. I hope you guys are not having a hard time during this quarantine, it's been really cold where I live lately. Remember to stay indoors, eat on time, and wash your hands on the regular. Please only go out when it's necessary. Keep safe!
> 
> I hope you guys had a nice time reading the update, let me know what you think~ Your thoughts actually help me with deciding what I should do for the updates. Also, I feel a little trapped right now so please comment and feel free to let your suggestions be heard. The comments help a lot!


	23. Radios are underrated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It's been a while since my last update. I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter.

**Third Person’s Point of View**

It was as if the month when Nayeon wasn’t in the dorm was something that didn’t exist. It’s as if it was something from a dream, something that wasn’t real. The days passed quickly without her inside the dormitory. Well, now that she’s with her roommates, things have somehow gone back to normal. 

_Or so they thought._

This was what everyone wanted. They want things to at least be back to normal. Wishing that isn’t something difficult, right? To live a peaceful and normal life is something everyone wanted, especially Nayeon. She wishes for things to be normal now that she has returned. But wishing won’t really make her safe. So for now, she has to take the necessary precautions. 

* * *

Everyone huddled up in the dorm, trying to figure out their next move if ever Jung Min Woo does strike again. With the help of Mina’s brains, Tuzyu’s resources, Sana, and Chaeyoung’s cooperation, Nayeon knew that she’d be protected. 

“Our dearest Maknae.” Nayeon lovingly calls Tzuyu, the spell has worn off. Tzuyu is now annoyed at her Nayeon unnie. 

“Yes?” Asks Tzuyu, she was tired. Nayeon smiles because she knows how much she can just annoy the girl and the best thing is she can get away without consequences. 

“You should just start dating a police officer and coerce him to put the guy in jail.” Says Nayeon jokingly. 

“Low ranking police officers can’t touch that jerk, he somehow has immunity.” Says Mina as she does some work on her laptop. 

“Well, then our Maknae just has to up her game and marry a Chief of police.” Jokes Sana, to this, Tzuyu just shakes her head in disappointment. 

“That would mean I would have to date someone almost thirty years older than I am. No thank you.” The youngest replies, she was tired of all the police officer jokes. 

“Aigoo. That’s just a bad idea, honestly.” Chimes in Chaeyoung who’s carrying a tray with cups of freshly brewed tea. She places the tray on the floor and plops next to Tzuyu, she doesn’t sit next to Mina. 

“How come? We can’t really take this guy by ourselves.” Says Sana, who is currently reaching for a cup of tea. She sips on it as she waits for Chaeyoung to reply. 

“We’ve been to the police before, nothing happened.” Replies Chaeyoung as she hands everyone their cups of Tea. “Here you go, unnie.” She gives Mina the last cup of tea. Of course she had to use honorifics when the others were around. Mina smiles at her tenderly, making Chaeyoung blush a little. It was as if the two of them were in a world of their own.

“Anyway, I still don’t…” Tzuyu trail off, she stared at Nayeon for a while. Tzuyu does not want to offend the girl. Nayeon just smiled at her, somehow saying that it’s okay, that Tzuyu does not have to hold back. “Well, I don’t think we have enough hard evidence. We need physical evidence to incarcerate him.” Says Tzuyu. 

“For example?” Asks Nayeon, she was interested. Ever since she came back from the Countryside, she has got this drive to actually put this guy behind bars. 

“Well, if we had CCTV installed around our dormitory, we could've filed a case already.” Says Mina wistfully. Everyone knew she was right, but they also knew it wasn’t time for them to dwell on the things they could’ve done. 

“Okay, we can buy CCTV cameras tomorrow.” Says Tzuyu as she places her card in the middle of their circle. Everyone just stared, it still amazes them how rich their youngest is. “But, I have a meeting tomorrow so I can’t buy it. I need to get up early too, you guys don’t mind if I go ahead, right?” She smiles and gets up. Everyone just gave her the go-signal. Now, Sana, Nayeon, Chaeyoung, and Mina are the only ones left. 

“I can’t do it too, I have things to do tomorrow.” Sana Stood up, Nayeon stared at her, and then Nayeon stood up too. 

“Why don’t you guys do it together?” Nayeon asked Mina and Chaeyoung.

“I mean…” Chaeyoung trails off. The cub knew she had things to do tomorrow, she needed to attend another meeting about the school festival. How many events does she need to prepare for? 

“Sure, we can do that. Right, Chaeyoungie?” Asks Mina, the girl looked hopeful that the younger girl would say yes. Chaeyoung couldn’t help it. 

“Right, I’ll accompany her.” Confirms the younger girl, looking at Nayeon and Sana. She smiled at both of them. 

“Sana and I got things to talk about, is it okay if we leave you guys alone?” Asks Nayeon, the girl looked hopeful. She was clutching Sana’s arm. Being younger, Mina and Chaeyoung just nodded their heads. 

“Good night, you guys.” Says Nayeon as she motions Sana to proceed to her room. 

“Play nicely.” Says Sana as she winked at the younger girls. Chaeyoung’s eyes widened, what the hell did the older girl mean? As the older girls retreated in Nayeon’s room, Chaeyoung felt as if she could breathe again. 

“What the hell was that?” Chaeyoung nervously huffs out. Chaeyoung hears Mina’s soft chuckle, this made the younger girl staring at her. “You’re still laughing?” Chaeyoung asked the older girl. Mina smiled at her and softly touched her head. 

“You worry too much, cub.” She replies. “You want to continue this in my room?” The older girl asks. Chaeyoung’s eyes widen in confusion. 

“Eh?” is all Chaeyoung could say. Mina smiled. 

“I meant work, ma’am. Accompany me in my room, I hate working alone.” Says Mina. To this, Chaeyoung smiled.

_Of course the younger girl thought of something else._

Chaeyoung gathered all the cups first and placed all of it including the tray in the sink. Mina went inside her room first. Chaeyoung then follows, inside Mina’s room, Chaeyoung is greeted by the same image. Mina is still working on ways to get Jung Min Woo Incarcerated.

* * *

Mina was plopped on her bed, facing her laptop. Chaeyoung, now a little shameless around Mina, plopped beside the older girl. She effortlessly put her hand on the older girl’s shoulder. 

_Skinship has become easier for both of them since that night._

“Someone’s feeling confident.” Teases Mina, a smirk plastered on her lips. Chaeyoung chuckles, but she doesn’t remove her hand. Her hands felt way too comfortable. 

“Why? Should I go ahead and slide my hand off?” Asks the younger girl, feeling a little confident. The older girl turned her gaze to Chayoung, there wasn’t much space between their faces. Mina had this mischievously look on her face and because of this Chaeyoung couldn’t help but just turn cherry red. 

“I like where they are.” Replies the older girl, not really looking at the younger girl in the eye. Mina's eyes were too busy looking at the younger girl's lips anyway. Chaeyoung couldn’t help but cough, she slid her hand off of the girl and backed away first of course. She is still on Mina’s bed, too embarrassed to look at the older girl, Chaeyoung has resorted to burying her face on the bed.

_She couldn’t handle the sexual tension between them, it was too much for her._

“You okay there?” Asks Mina, Chaeyoung can hear the mockery in her voice. Mina Continues to type something on her laptop. Chaeyoung lifts her head up, she’s now eyeing the older girl. She’s observing her do her own thing.

“Hey, I think what you’re doing is wonderful.” Says Chaeyoung, still eyeing MIna. To this, Mina halts the research she was doing and stares at the girl beside her. Chaeyoung couldn’t help but just stare at the older girl. 

“Anything for Nayeon unnie.” Utters Mina, a smile formed on her lips. To this, Chaeyoung just stared, pang jealousy hits her and she just stared at the ceiling. Chaeyoung didn’t know what to say or do, she just froze. She knew feeling jealous that Mina is doing her best to help solve this problem is something toxic, Son Chaeyoung knew that. 

“You’re amazing.” Was all Chaeyoung could say, she didn’t know how else to respond. Mina noticed that the younger girl’s mood had changed in a second. 

“Is there something wrong?” She asked, stopping whatever she was doing. She looked over to Chaeyoung who’s just staring into the empty ceiling. 

“No, I’m good.” Replies Chaeyoung, she knows she’s stronger than this. The air inside the room became awkward, the two girls just lay on their bed quietly. 

“Hey, do you remember this?” Asks Mina as she stood up, the older girl was grabbing something from her shelf. Son Chaeyoung just stared, not saying much until her eyes saw what Mina was holding. It’s the portrait she had drawn for Mina months ago. 

“It’s framed.” Chaeyoung couldn’t help but smile, she felt the pang of jealousy slowly wither away the moment she saw Mina holding her drawing. “You kept it?” She couldn’t help herself from sounding so amused.

“What else would I do with it?” Asks Mina as she sits beside the now smiling kid. 

“I don’t know. Maybe throw it away?” Answers Chaeyoung sarcastically. Mina stared at the younger girl in disbelief, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“In case you’re too oblivious to notice, I kept it because it is important for me.” Says the older girl as she placed the framed drawing on the bedside table. Chaeyoung just stared at the girl, she was quite taken aback because of Mina’s response. “Damn, you’re such a dummy.” Mina chuckles as she closes her laptop. 

“You’re closing your laptop?” Asked the younger girl.

“What does it look like?” Grins the older girl. Chaeyoung just rolls her eyes. “Anyway, I’m done with work for today.” Huffs Mina as she places her laptop underneath her bed. Chaeng stares at the girl. 

“Are you going to sleep?” Asks Chaeyoung. 

“Yeah.” Replies the older girl as she grabs an extra blanket. Chaeyoung’s eyes nonchalantly follow MIna’s movements. “ And you’re going to sleep with me.” Adds the older girl like it was something they do every day. 

“Excuse me?” Chaeyoung almost choked on her own saliva. She stared at MIna with wide eyes, not sure whether she heard correctly. 

“You’re going to sleep with me.” Replies the older girl nonchalantly. Chaeyoung just stared, thinking that the older girl must be out of her mind. 

“Okay, and by that you mean?” Asked the younger girl. She dated Dahyun before and she admits they did it many times but her ex wasn’t as apprehensive as Mina. Chaeyoung thought that Mina is some piece of work to just ask her so casually. 

“Sleep, cuddle, talk, and just generally be together.” Replies Mina, she had this weird look on her face. The older girl didn’t understand why Chaeyoung was acting really weird, she thinks that the younger girl was asking too many questions. “I just thought, you know, we live in the same house and we’re just a few rooms apart. So, why not share one bed from time to time.” Adds the older girl, she felt as if she was explaining too much for the sake of the younger girl. 

“Ah…” The younger girl trails off as she awkwardly sits on the bed’s edge trying to figure out why the hell she’s got a very dirty mind. 

Mina on the other hand now is lying on her bed, scrolling through her phone. 

“So, this is like a sleepover?” Asks the younger girl, a little confused with how she ended up in her Senior’s bed. Chaeyoung’s head is filled with thoughts, good and bad. Both bombard her head, she doesn’t know how to handle herself. 

“Yeah, are you not going to join me?” Chuckles the older girl. She knew that the younger girl was nervous, but she’s just playing. She enjoys seeing Chaeyoung chicken out like that. To her, it was entertainment. 

“You know I like you, right?” The younger girl reiterated. 

“Yes.” Confirms Mina. “Can you please face me? I can’t see you.” Requests the older girl. 

“Fine, if you keep doing this then I might end up liking you more.” Chaeyoung complains as she proceeds to lay beside Mina, trying to keep a good amount of distance between them. She’s still a little bitter that she thinks Mina likes Nayeon. 

“Hey, do you know what I like to do before sleeping?” Asks Mina as she reaches something from her bedside table. Chaeng just stares, observing what the older girl was doing.

_Sex? Chaeyoung thought to herself._

Mina then whips out a perfume bottle. “I like spraying some on my pillow so I can sleep with ease.” Smiles Mina, she then places the perfume back inside her bedside table’s drawer. This made Chaeyoung confused. 

“But you didn’t spray some.” Complains Son Chaeyoung, she was obviously confused. Mina smiles, her signature gummy smile. When she smiled, her eyes smiled too. Chaeyoung just stared, marveling at the beauty right in front of her. 

“Come here.” Mina pats the space beside her. Chaeyoung just stared at the older girl, she knew what the girl meant. The younger girl, even though reluctant, slowly worked her way beside Mina. “Better, I can see you clearly now.” Whispers Mina as she looked into Chaeyoung's eyes, tucking the younger girl’s loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

Chaeyoung just stared, not sure how to react to whatever was happening at the moment. Son Chaeyoung feels as if her blood pressure is rising up, even just the sight of Myoui Mina was enough for her to have a heart attack. Now that she’s laying in her bed, just staring at each other, she feels as if she’s just dreaming. 

“What are you going to do tomorrow?” Asked the older girl. 

“I’m supposed to attend a meeting but I’ve decided to not go.” The younger girl honestly replies. She’s decided not to go mainly because she wants to spend time with the older girl the next day. Mina stared at her for a few seconds.

“I can wait for you, you know. After the meeting we can buy the materials and we can do whatever we want.” Smiles Myoui Mina. The younger girl wanted to say so many things, she wanted to just lean in and kiss. Son Chaeyoung thinks the girl in front of her is one of the most gorgeous lady she’s ever laid her eyes on. 

“Thank you.” She smiles as she scoots in closer to Mina. Son Chaeyoung doesn’t understand what was happening and what both of them are exactly. She doesn’t know whether the older girl feels the same, but she’s willing to risk getting hurt just to spend time with Mina. 

“No, thank you.” replies Mina as she pulls the younger girl for a hug. Chaeyoung just lets this happen, she just let Mina hug her. She likes it anyway, she thinks she should take things to her advantage. 

That night, both of them slept in each other’s arms not really thinking of the consequences they both might face. Chaeyoung, thinking and wondering how on earth did she get the girl she’s liked for months to cuddle with her. Mina, of course is confused with everything that’s happening to her. It could be said that the night turned out beautiful but underneath all of that, questions arose and of course, these questions in time must be answered. 

* * *

“So you’re saying that we need to find sponsors?” Asks a student in the front row. Everyone murmured, appalled by the fact that the deadline for the sponsorship is moved to a closer date. 

“That’s what I’m saying.” Replies the person discussing all the requirements for the school festival. 

“I mean, wasn’t it only a hundred thousand won the last time we conversed about this?” Complains a student in the back row. The murmurs became louder, some complained about the sudden increase of fees. Some students didn’t really give a damn. Chou Tzuyu is one of them.

“That’s less than two hundred bucks, honestly it’s not that much. Why is everyone complaining?” Asks the giant, Chaeyoung was quick to cover the younger girl’s mouth with her hand. 

“Shut up or you’re a dead man.” Whispers Chaeyoung, Tzuyu stares at her, almost annoyed at the fact the small girl is stuffing dirty fingers on her face. “Not everyone is as rich are you, you tall dummy. I swear to god if something insensitive comes out of your mouth again, I will sock you.” Warns Son Chaeyoung.

“Damn, you’re so grumpy. Is it because of the lack of height?” Teases the taller girl, of course she does this all the time. Son Chaeyoung was used to it already, she’s not appalled one bit. 

“Stop running your damn mouth all the time, one day that mouth of your will get you in trouble.” Warns Son Chaeyoung. 

The room was filled with the concerns of the students. Some students were worried about how they were going to find sponsors and some were not worried at all. All in all, it was just noisy. Noise pollution, anyone? 

“Can't we just sponsor ourselves or something?” Asks a person in the group, he sounded cocky. The senior stared at him for a while. 

“At this point, I don’t really care. Just bring in the money.” Huffs the senior, he seemed hopeless. The senior, obviously tired with all the preparation. “Okay, so Jaeyul is going to pass the sponsorship letters around.” Starts the senior. 

“What are you going to do after this meeting?” Chou Tzuyu asked Son Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung just stared for a while. 

“Please do not lose the letter! These are important, do you understand?” Adds the senior. The girls were seated in the middle rows, the sponsorship letters quickly found their way in their hands. 

“Why?” Asks Son Chaeyoung as she drops the letter in her purse for safekeeping. 

“Oh yeah, damn it. I almost forgot you’re supposed to be with Mina unnie today.” Chuckles Tuzyu, to this Chaeng just stared. Chaeng was aware that Tzuyu is the nosy type, always asking unnecessary questions about everything. 

“Good that you remember.” Chaeyoung rolls her eyes almost too instantly. 

“Anyway, that’s it for today.” Announcing the Senior, everyone almost immediately stood up to collect their belongings and go. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu decided to wait it out, they didn’t want to join the traffic. They just sat down until the traffic died down, talking about random things and just enjoying each other’s company.

* * *

“Chaeng Chaeng!” Someone calls out to Chaeyoung from the entrance. Both Tzuyu and Chaeyoung immediately turn their gaze to none other than Myoui Mina. Of course, she’d be here, why wouldn’t she be? She’s supposed to collect Chaeyoung for their day out. 

“I didn’t know you were going to pick this nugget up, unnie.” Chuckles Tzuyu as she and Chaeyoung walk up the stairs to the main entrance where Mina was waiting. 

“I mean, she wanted me to pick her up.” Mina replied teasingly, to this Chaeyoung laughs nervously. Tzuyu was left questioning why the hell the air between the three of them has suddenly become so flirty. 

“Lies. You offered to wait for me.” Replies Son Chaeyoung daringly, knowing that having this kind of exchange in front of Tzuyu would be fine. Son Chaeyoung thinks that Chou Tzuyu of all people wouldn’t really care about anything. 

“Jeez. Stop flirting you two, I will head out now.” Complains Tzuyu as she actually walks away from the two. “You guys couldn’t wait ‘til I actually leave? Insensitive.” The youngest grumbles as she walks away, Mina and Chaeyoung knew it wasn’t serious. 

“So, are you ready to spend time with me?” asks Mina, to which Chaeyoung just nodded in agreement. 

* * *

It was only a quarter to one when both of them left school, the weather wasn’t strikingly hot nor cold. The weather was fine, that’s why both of them had decided to walk from the University to the nearest cafe for lunch. During lunch, they talked so much. They both conversed about random things, things that didn’t make sense but somehow, amidst the weirdness of their conversation, they laughed. They enjoyed the experience. Both of them didn’t mind the presence of other people around them. Of course, they acted like friends, nothing more than that of course. 

Chaeyoung of all people couldn’t believe this was actually happening, having lunch with Mina and just spending a day together. Never had she ever thought she’d get to experience this, it was as if she was dreaming. Myoui Mina, for Chaeyoung, looked ethereal. For Son Chaeyoung the girl looked breathtakingly beautiful, close to perfection. 

Chaeyoung just had this giddy feeling inside her, all bottled up. It was as if butterflies were just in her stomach, looking at Mina, it made her weak. Chaeyoung does not understand why she’s heads over heels for the woman. 

* * *

“Hey, you’re a gorgeous lady.” Says the younger girl out of nowhere, to this Mina stared for a while, a smile formed on her face. Mina was obviously waiting for the younger girl to continue whatever she was going to say.

“And you said that because?” Chuckles Mina, she stared at Son Chaeyoung for a while. Both of them had just finished buying the CCTVs and had just finished installing all cameras all around their dormitory. They also bought extra ones for the next apartment. 

Both of them were just hanging out in Mina’s room, as per usual. It’s as if staying in Mina’s room has become their thing, as if it's their safe space. Mina was typing something on her laptop, she was on her belly laying on her bed.

“Well, I was just wondering.” Continues Chaeyoung, who was on the floor playing on Mina’s switch. The older girl let her play games on her device even though she knows the younger girl won’t help her unlock more characters in Smash brothers. 

“About what? You wonder about almost anything.” Replies Mina as she continues to search for valuable information on her laptop. Chaeyoung is still playing on her Nintendo switch, the older girl can’t help but just smile at the sight. “Are you having fun, Chaeng?” Asks the older girl, to this, the younger girl nods her head without looking up. 

“Just things.” Replies the younger girl, not sure whether it’s time for her to ask Mina about the question that’s been bugging her these past few days. “You know what, it’s not that important. Forget it.” Chuckles the younger girl as she tries to finish Kirby. 

“Well, if you say so.” Says the older girl, picking up where she left off with her research. Both of them remained silent for a while, they were doing their own thing until Mina suddenly thought about something. “Hey, isn’t Min Woo an heir to their company?” Asks the older girl. 

“That’s basically the reason why he has all this protection.” Replies Chaeyoung.

“Do you ever think we can reach out to his father?” Asks the older girl and to this, Chaeyoung just stared as if the question was something that should not have been asked. 

“That’s a bad idea.” Replies the younger girl. “Hard evidence, that is what we want as of the moment.” Adds Son Chaeyoung as she turns the game console off. She stared at Mina for a while, she could see the frustration in the girl’s eyes. 

“We’re stuck at a dead-end, Chaeng.” Huffs the older girl, as if everything that’s been happening is her fault. The younger girl stood up and just sat next to Mina. She slowly places her hand on the girl’s back, rubbing the girl’s back for comfort. 

“I know you want to solve this.” Says the younger girl as she continues to soothe Mina. “But can you please take it easy?” Says Chaeyoung. Mina only huffs, she feels as if her world is slowly collapsing. 

“I just hate the fact that he’s running around free.” Says Mina, a vein popping on her temple. She wasn’t only hopeless, she was also mad. 

“Hey.” The younger girl called her attention, Scooting closer to Mina in the process. Chaeyoung then closed Mina’s laptop. Mina stared at Chaeyoung in confusion. “Come closer.” orders the younger girl. 

“What is it this time?” Jokingly asks the older girl as she lays on her back. 

“Let me massage your temple.” Says the younger girl innocently, to which Mina just nods. It was already night time, people were in their own rooms and it was expected for people to be quiet around this time. Mina just lay on her back, staring at the younger girl massaging her as if her life depended on it. Mina thought Son Chaeyoung is caring, it made her melt a little. 

“You seem really uncomfortable with your position.” Says Mina as she stares at the younger girl who is trying to massage her. Chaeyoung just shrugged, trying to make it seem like she didn’t understand what Mina meant. 

“What do you want then?” Asked the younger girl. 

The night was silent, even the slightest noise would be heard by their other roommates. They knew fooling around at this time of the night will expose them and get them in trouble. They both had this smirk on their faces, they knew where all of this was heading. 

Myoui Mina then stands up, grabs her portable radio and she then turns it on. The older girl places the radio near the door, also locking the doorknob in the process. Chaeyoung sees this and she turns velvet red. They both knew the purpose the radio serves for them tonight.

“You like music, right?” Asks Mina, a smirk was on her lips. Mina walked back to the bed and she lay on her back, just staring at the flustered Son Chaeyoung. “You said you wanted to massage my temple.” Says the older girl casually. To this, Son Chaeyoung only nods her head because it was true.

“Well, you seemed very uncomfortable awhile ago.” Mina says her observation. 

“I kind of was, yes.” Is all Chaeyoung could say, the younger girl felt her face becoming hot. 

“Sit on me, that way you can massage my temple better.” Chuckles the older girl, to this, Son Chaeyoung only obliges. Son Chaeyoung sat on top of Myoui Mina, leaning in as she was massaging the girl’s temple. 

Both of them had changed into their pajamas just before deciding to hang out in Mina’s room, they decided that the younger girl should sleep in the older girl’s room again. They both knew where all of this was going, they were two consenting adults. There was nothing wrong with whatever this is. 

“Does that feel better now?” Asked Son Chaeyoung, clearly flustered with Mina’s request to sit on top of her. Mina just stared at the gap between her neck and collar. The top is loose, especially in the collar area. This allowed Mina to have a glimpse of the younger girl’s bosom. Son Chaeyoung wasn’t wearing anything inside, she’s comfortable.

“Yeah, it does.” Replies the older girl as she continues to stare, her hands slowly running up to the girl’s top. A button was already undone, she wished for another one to be undone. She stared at the younger girl who this time has stopped massaging her. Son Chaeyoung noticed her staring, slowly but surely the younger girl undoes two more buttons on her pajama top making Myoui Mina just stare, almost breathtakingly. Mina stared at the younger girl’s almost bare chest, just admiring. “You’re beautiful.” was all she could say, almost too instantly bucking her hips making the younger girl fall on her. 

“I knew it.” Says Son Chaeyoung, a smirk plastered on her lips. She knew that they would somehow end up doing things sooner or later. That’s when the older girl got on top of her, a smirk forming on her lips, just staring at Son Chaeyoung below her. 

“Now, aren’t you glad I have that radio?” Asks Mina, she then leans in she starts unbuttoning the remaining buttons on the younger girl’s shirt. It seemed natural as if she knows what she’s doing. Mina then leaned in and she started planting soft kisses starting from Chaeyoung’s neck down to her belly button.

Mina can hear Chaeyoung breath, not labored breathing but the kind that assures her that the younger girl is having a good time. Mina’s mouth now below Chaeyoung’s belly button, she couldn’t help but look up and see Son Chaeyoung, redder than she’s ever seen the girl.

“Can I take this off?” Asks the older girl, for the consent of course. Mina was motioning to the younger girl’s pants. Chaeyoung, flustered and hot couldn’t do anything else but just nod her head. The moment Myoui Mina sees the approval, she doesn’t hesitate. She slowly but skillfully removed Chaeyoung’s pajama pants, leaving the younger girl only wearing her underpants and her unbuttoned top.

“Better.” Smiles Mina, this drives Son Chaeyoung to overdrive that she ultimately pulls the older girl to down to her. Mina is caught off guard at first but is enjoying how much she affects the girl.

“Please stop screwing around.” Whispers Chaeyoung who’s already starting to whine a little. That’s when the older girl leaned in and kissed Chaeyoung in the mouth, their tongues wrestled while Mina’s hands roamed all over the younger girl’s body. Mina wants to mark Chaeyoung with love bites all over her body, but she had to restrict herself and just suck the younger girl on places that aren’t visible to others. It was frustrating for Mina but of course, she had to be considerate so that this could happen again.

“I’m not. The only thing that I’m screwing is you.” Chuckles the older girl as she leaned in and started to bite and suck the younger girl on her breasts, then simultaneously taking both nipples between her thumb and forefinger; squeezing hard. This makes the younger girl cry out in pain, the sensation was probably too much for Chaeyoung. This makes the older girl smile, mischievously.

_Son Chaeyoung red and in pain, Mina thought the view is tasty._

Mina leans in, near Chaeyoung’s ear and whispers. “That’s good. Be noisy.” Her hot breath, renders Son Chaeyoung powerless, making her moan. This only makes Son Chaeyoung want more, she feels as if she’s broken down enough and that she’s ready for whatever Mina is going to do next.

Mina leans in again to kiss the younger girl on the mouth; her hand starts to travel from the younger girl’s waist to her clothed clit. Mina feels the severity of her actions to the girl’s underwear. It’s soiled, wet all over and even without going inside she knows that Chaeyoung is swollen from all the foreplay they’ve been doing. She too herself was aroused just by hearing the younger girl whine, that was enough for her to feel weak down there.

“You’re wet.” Chuckles Mina, she pauses as she looks at the younger girl in the eye.

“Shut up.” Chaeyoung was visibly embarrassed, she looked away. She was covered in her own sweat; they’ve been going at it for minutes now. She feels weak, her hips giving in and grinding against the older girl’s body whenever their bodies touch.

Mina sits up; she’s fully clothed unlike the younger girl. The older girl takes the hair tie from her wrist and ties her hair to a ponytail. Chaeyoung just eyes Mina’s every movement, observing whether she’d get off the bed and make her leave. But instead, the older girl places her hand on her clothed genital. This makes her clench her jaw, but her hips somehow push back indicating she wants more pressure.

“You act all tough but your body language says otherwise.” Says Mina before she proceeds to lean in and bite the underwear off of Chaeyoung, rendering the younger girl completely naked. Chaeyoung is now completely helpless and exposed.

“Look at you, you’re all excited. I haven’t even touched you there, yet you’re already dripping.” Whispers the older girl, Chaeyoung wanted to protest but before she could say something, the older girl leans in and places her mouth on the girl’s clit also inserting two fingers inside. This makes Son Chaeyoung whimper, she couldn’t do anything but just gulp. She is consumed by this tingling sensation all over her body, Mina hasn’t even started moving.

The older girl then starts to move her tongue, stimulating the younger girl’s clitoris while also moving her ring and middle finger inside and out of Son Chaeyoung. Each movement makes the younger girl moan. Her moans where a pleasure to Mina, it was an affirmation that she’s doing a good job.

“God, you’re tight.” Mina looks up and their eyes meet. The younger girl becomes redder, her hips just moving and pushing back. Mina notices this and smiles; she pushes her fingers down deeper, trying to find the younger girl’s g-spot.

“Please don’t stop.” Says the younger girl weakly, her tone curving at the end of her sentence. Pleasure can be heard in her voice.

The older girl then sits up, still pumping both her fingers. She now uses her thumb, circling it slowly, and teasingly on the younger girl’s clitoris. At this point, Mina’s bed was shaking and the younger girl was noisy down there too, only confirming how lubricated she is. Sloppy sounds filled the older girl’s room. This makes the older girl want to insert one finger more, so she does it easily and without remorse.

Three fingers in.

“Oh, god.” Cries the younger girl, but Mina covers her mouth with her free hand.

“Now, you don’t want to be louder than the radio, right?” Says Mina while still pumping making sure she hits the g-spot, the younger girl only nods, her eyes rolling back due to the pleasure that the older girl is giving her.

“Deeper, please. Harder.” Cries the younger girl as her breathing starts becoming labored and her forehead forming beads of sweat. This drives Myoui Mina crazy, she never understood the level of power she has on the younger girl until this very moment. Mina starts to pumps harder and deeper, making the younger girl fill the room with her pain-filled moans.

As Mina continues to relentlessly pound the younger girl, Chaeyoung starts to feel that she’s close to her climax. The pleasure was starting to building deep inside her belly, the feeling was almost too much for her to handle and that’s when the younger girl explodes around Mina’s fingers. Everything goes dark for the younger girl for a few seconds until she opens her eyes. The sudden gush of energy still radiating through her whole body.

“Good girl.” Whispers Mina and that is when Chaeyoung feels the older girl kiss her on the mouth, it felt almost loving. Mina then pulls Chaeyoung to a hug, not really saying anything.

After a few minutes, both of them ended up sleeping in each other’s arms once again. Chaeyoung completely naked, too tired to even pick up and wear her underwear. She’s never felt this worn out before.

At dawn, Son Chaeyoung woke up with more questions unanswered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm curious, what do you guys think? lol


	24. The good, the bad, and the obnoxious.

**THIRD PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW**

The car somehow always found a way to slowly follow Nayeon, without even actually being caught. The car, which is owned by a certain CEO’s son, is overused and somehow beaten. Who wouldn’t be overused when its owner uses the heck out of it just to follow random people? A year ago, the owner followed a female freshman from Konkuk. 

The poor girl was scared to death when she was cornered in an alley, but somehow, it was all that happened. Cornering. Nothing else really happened, she was just cornered by a car, no one came out. But the girl was too shaken that she wasn’t able to record the plate number. Whenever in intense situations, some people cannot function well. 

For that freshman girl from Konkuk, things have been awful for months. She couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t eat, she couldn’t live normally. Her life was destroyed by some stupid stalker. But the girl was lucky, nothing followed after when she was cornered. She was lucky, the severity of her experience isn’t as bad as I'm Nayeon's. 

“I haven’t seen you in a while.” The man huffs out. He was tired. 

“Well, I’m here. Can’t you even look a little excited, Dad?” the guy sarcastically asks his father. 

“No father would be excited to see their disappointment of a son.” The father replies without skipping a beat. 

“Cold, truly cold.” The guy starts to pick at his food, humming to some song, in actuality he wasn’t really fazed with what his father had to say.

“What do you want?” The old man asks, wanting to end his meetup with the boy. The kid is insufferable. He wished he had just pulled out. 

“Money, you forgot to wire me money.” The guy shamelessly replies, almost too easily too. He wasn’t fazed, his father had punched him millions of times already. If he ever gets hit tonight, he wouldn’t mind at all. 

“Jung Min Woo, you crazy son of a bitch.” His father says this without remorse. 

“You’re the one who fucked the bitch, you’re the one who wasn’t loyal to Mrs. Jung.” Min Woo chuckled. He was right. Jung Min Woo, the heir of their company is an illegitimate child. The father was fuming, but he's restraining himself from hitting the boy. 

“You want me to wire the money?” The father asked. Min Woo just nodded, like a child, aegyo involved. The father was disgusted, how did he ever make someone so ridiculously callous and evil. If only he could turn back time. 

“Go fuck yourself. I am not going to wire you anything.” The father replies. 

“I’m the only heir to your company. How can you do this to me?” Min Woo chuckled, this sent shivers to his father’s spine. 

“I am not funding you to run around stalking some poor girl.” The father replied. To this, Min Woo just stared. He looked cold, the young boy. 

“I am not stalking her! She wants me!” He protests. 

The whole restaurant seemed to have shifted its gaze to them, good thing the place wasn’t as crowded. But still, this isn’t good. People might recognize them. The veins in Mr. Jung’s head is bulging, all the anger and emotions he is feeling cannot be contained. 

“You listen to me.” The father calmly tells his son. “If you don’t get your act together, I will happily remove out of the family register.”

“You can’t do that.” the younger boy was fazed, for the first time since their meeting.

“I can, watch me fill that form up with a smile on my face." Min Woo only stares at the man, he felt such resentment and hate towards the man. "I will not wire you anything, I will gladly watch you struggle for your resources." 

“You're one mean bastard.” Chuckles the younger boy. 

"Don't challenge me, Minwoo. I would have gotten you killed if you weren't my only son." The older man callously replies. He stared at the young boy for a few seconds before standing up. 

"Come back home. You need to take your medicine." Adds Mr. Jung before walking away, leaving Minwoo. 

* * *

Nayeon wakes up from her sleep, beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She hadn’t realised it, all she knew was she woke up and that’s it. But her roommates heard her screams just right before she sat straight up. It was only a matter of seconds before Sana, Mina, Tzuyu, and Chaeyoung came running inside her room. 

_Im Nayeon hasn’t locked her doors since she came back. Not even once._

This isn’t the first time that she’s had nightmares, she has it more frequently now. She’s gotten used to this, ever since she opened that box with a dead cat’s carcass inside, she hasn’t really been the same. But tonight, the nightmare was unbearable. It was too much, maybe that’s how she caught everybody’s attention. 

“Nayeon unnie.” Sana calls out to her, the girl is walking towards her. Sana seemed very worried, unsure of how to handle the situation. Everyone now is sitting on the edge of her bed. Mina dabbed a towel on Nayeon’s forehead, trying to calm the girl down. 

The girls knew better than to just ask their oldest if she’s doing okay. They all knew the answer, she wasn’t okay. Nayeon wasn’t okay, and they all knew it was best if they just let the girl register everything that's been going on. It took Nayeon for a while to collect herself and be calm. Chaeyoung prepares everyone tea. 

“Jeongyeon. Can somebody please call Jeongyeon over?” Asks Nayeon, she knew it was an impossible request but people complied. They knew why she wanted Jeong, they all knew the two have known each other the longest. 

It was already past midnight but Jeongyeon came over, it seemed as if she was already asleep when Mina contacted her and asked her to come over. But Jeongyeon patiently walked up to Nayeon and told everyone to get some rest. 

Sana, Mina, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu were left outside wondering when all of this will be over. They might have gotten their Nayeon unnie back but they all know resting isn’t an option until they catch Jung Min Woo. Sana, Tzuyu, and Chaeyoung retreated immediately to their rooms.

But not Mina. Mina lingered outside of Nayeon’s Door.

  
  


* * *

The idea that Jeongyeon is the only one who could comfort the traumatized girl was something that everyone was settled with. Everyone knows Nayeon is closest to Jeongyeon, it’s probably because of all the time they’ve spent together. Both of them go way back, they knew each other since High School. Even Myoui Mina knew this, but somehow, the quiet girl felt a little broken when Nayeon’s door closed right in front of their faces the night before. 

_MIna was jealous._

Mina knew she’s better than this, but that doesn’t mean she should just sweep her feelings under the rug. The feeling was valid and she knew better than just ignoring it. Besides, she’s better off feeling it now than just having her feelings well up to an unreasonable amount. Mina was like that, when she’s at her tipping point she would choose to face everything. The only problem was, while Mina sunk into this downward spiral feeling of Jealousy, she forgot about Chaeyoung.

Mina is the type who couldn’t figure out what she felt until the feelings were already up on her face and barking at her. She’s always felt as if there was something more between Nayeon and Jeongyeon but she just shrugged it off. That’s the reason why in her three-year stay in the dormitory she's only reacting now. 

* * *

Things have already happened between Mina and Chaeyoung. To Chaeyoung, they’ve done things that only couples are supposed to do. Does it bother Chaeyoung that the actions took place first before a label was actually given to whatever they have? Maybe a little. She couldn’t help but think that Mina was being unfair by being indifferent. For Son Chaeyoung, the indifference was unbearable. Many thoughts flooded her head and honestly, she felt as if she was worth more than how she’s being treated. 

Son Chaeyoung woke up one day to Myoui Mina being really distant and indifferent towards her. It was as if they were back to square one once again, they rarely talk whenever they're alone which was the strangest thing to her. 

The only time that both of them would interact and talk is whenever they are with the others and when they’re supposed to engage in a conversation. But other than that, there wasn’t much interaction between them. It was something that’s upsetting and it made the younger girl feel awful to the core, she often wondered what she did wrong. 

Son Chaeyoung isn’t the type who would push and prod for answers, she’s the type to just wait things out and be calm. That’s probably one of the factors why both of them didn’t talk for days on end, it was as if they were strangers. Chaeyoung didn’t understand what was going on. 

* * *

Mina on the other hand also felt the growing distance between her and the younger girl. She felt awful because she’s the one who persistently and actively avoided the young girl. She also didn’t know how to react to everything that’s been happening. 

Mina has always liked Nayeon, she liked her the first day she moved inside the dormitory. Mina battled with feelings for the older girl for a very long time until one day she just accepted that she does indeed like the girl. 

It was during the summer break before the current school year when Mina realized her budding feelings for Nayeon. Yes, it took the girl more than two years to admit to herself that she likes her roommate, Nayeon. Mina was ready to risk everything, she had just gotten out of the plane together with Sana and Momo. The three of them were excited to start the new school year. Mina was mostly excited to pursue Nayeon but the inevitable happened. She met another force that would change things inside the dormitory, it was Son Chaeyoung.

Little did Myoui Mina know, shaking the younger girl’s hand was the start of another journey. 

* * *

**Son Chaeyoung’s Point of View**

Today is Momo unnie’s birthday. Jihyo unnie and Daniel volunteered to buy ingredients for Momo’s birthday, but Momo wanted to treat everyone and just eat outside. It wasn’t a busy night and everyone was relatively free so our night was set, we were about to dine and have fun. 

Everyone decided to dress nicely for the evening, well, we all wore casual but still very nice clothes. Momo unnie decided to treat us at a famous place that specializes in Steak. In all honesty, the place looked good and down to earth which was nice because it somehow made us all comfortable to be ourselves. You know, moderately loud and chatty. 

“Yah, Daniel. It’s so nice to see you around. You should be here more often!” Declares Jeongyeon with the widest grin on her face. 

“Yeah, I wish I could hang with you guys more. Engineering has just made me extra busy lately.” He replies as he cuts into his steak, a smile on everyone’s face illuminated by the dim but intimate light inside the Restaurant. 

“Isn’t that weird that the cake still isn’t here?” Asks Sana as she stares at the tiny window where the orders go through when they’re finished. I instantly followed where her eyes were. She right, I haven’t seen Momo unnie blow her cake. 

“Oh shit, yeah. I forgot the blowing of the cake will commence during the second part of my birthday party.” Chuckles Momo as she eats a spoonful of her mashed potatoes. 

“And by that you mean?” Asks Dahyun who was obviously curious about what Momo meant.

“A birthday wouldn’t be complete without a little…” Trails off Momo as she drinks from her invisible shot glass. Everyone in the table ooohhed, this may sound bad but these girls love alcohol. 

“We could’ve just eaten at home, Momoring.” Says Jihyo softly, she sounded a little disappointed that they’ll still end up drinking at home. “Not that I’m being ungrateful but the price here is steep.” Says Jihyo unnie. 

“Yah, Jihyo…” Daniel calmly shushes his girlfriend. 

“That sounds great, Momoring. We’re down.” Assures Nayeon unnie, she stares at everyone as if telling us to cooperate and let the girl have a good birthday celebration.

After dinner, we stayed for a short while and talked about some stuff. You know, the usual. We teased each other and laughed at the dinner table. I even felt like we became a little too loud after a while, Dahyun felt the same that’s why she asked Momo if we could go and continue with the second part of the party. The party was fun, but everything felt better when all were gathered in the confines in the Dorm next dorm. 

“Yah, nobody mess up the cake!” Warns Jeongyeon unnie as she tries to stop all of us from harming the cake. Daniel was currently retrieving the matches in the Kitchen and Nayeon, Sana, Tzuyu, and Jihyo were pretending to smudge the icing with their fingers.

“Kang Daniel please hurry up or you’re paying for drinks tonight.” Warns Sana and that’s when we hear Daniel running towards us, with a matchbox in his hand. He immediately lights up the candles and we all gather around the birthday girl. 

“Make a wish Unnie, make it a good one.” Says Dahyun as she pats the girl’s back. We all we in silence as we observed Momo as she closed her eyes, paused for a few seconds, murmured something that was inaudible, and just then she blew her candles. 

Everyone applauded and before the kids started messing around with the cake Jeongyeon unnie stopped them. “No playing with the cake. I spent my afternoon baking that cake, no touchie. This masterpiece is meant to be eaten.” She warns Tzuyu who was about to smudge the cake with her fingers.

“You’re boring. You know that, right?” Huffs Tzuyu and I hear Sana chuckle, Jeongyeon unnie already was holding a knife when she warned Tzuyu so that added extra dramatic effect. 

“What did you wish for, unnie?” Asks Mina, she’s casually holding a wine glass in one hand. She looked very interested in what Momo had wished for.

I immediately turned my attention to her, but of course, I had to be subtle so I just listened to their conversation. It felt good to hear her talk, I haven’t heard anything from her for a few days. Even at dinner, she was quiet but not too quiet for everyone to start asking her if she’s okay. Maybe it’s just me, maybe I’m just overthinking. Honestly, all of this is making me nervous. I don’t even know what goes on really. 

“Revealing your wish will jinx it, unnie.” I tell Momo, interrupting their conversation. I casually look at Mina, I see her immediately look away. This doesn’t seem right, she’s smiling but she’s not looking at me. She isn’t usually like this. 

“I know right, that’s why none of you bozos will know what I wished for.” The birthday girl stuck her tongue out, I smiled at her. 

“I hope your wish will come true.” I smile at her, casually glancing at Mina every now and then. I also catch Mina doing the same, no one really is saying anything at this point. “Hey, unnie. I’m such an ass for forgetting about buying you something. I swear I’ll buy you something, okay?” I add. 

“That’s a promise, right?” She sounded very cheerful which made me chuckle. Just as she was about to say something else, Sana unnie grabbed her by the neck and whispered something in her ear. Momo unnie stared at her hopefully. 

“Can I borrow her from you guys for a while?” Sana unnie asks as she takes the birthday girl away from us. Now it was only us, Mina and I. We stared at each other for a while, Mina was just silent, her one hand holding the wine glass. She would take sips every now and then. 

“Hey, how have you been? I haven’t really heard from you in a while.” I softly tell her, I can tell she was taken aback with what I said. She stared at me and it was apparent that she was about to say something when all of a sudden Tzuyu called our attention. 

“Hey, loser. Come join us.” It was obvious that Tzuyu was addressing me. I looked at Tzuyu and nodded. Mina seemed relieved with Tzuyu’s intervention. 

“We’ll talk later, okay?” She whispered, she sounded gentle and I feel her softly squeeze my shoulder. Probably a signal that she knew what I meant. 

* * *

“Okay, shit. Here we go.” Chuckles Jihyo unnie as she scooped another dare command for none other than her boyfriend, mister Kang Daniel. We’re currently in the second round of truth or dare, the first round went easy and smooth just like the shots we gulped down. Things felt easy, well, maybe for now. Kang Daniel starts the second round and we all wait for the command for him. 

“Okay, why am I so tense right now?” Daniel blurts out, we all make fun of him.

“Okay, Dani.” Starts Jihyo, we all listen to her intently. “I dare you to bust some moves.” Chuckles Jihyo unnie as she crumpled the paper, throwing it on the ground. 

“Who the hell came up with these dares?” Chuckles Nayeon unnie and we see Sana raise her hand up, she’s smiling. “Bust? Are you serious?” Laughs Nayeon unnie manically which made everyone else realize the unwise choice of words. 

After all the commotion, Daniel stood up, with a smirk on his face and danced. Almost too perfectly too. We all stood there awestruck because of all the people we’d expect to dance well, we have never thought of Daniel as an idol material. 

“Wow, you can dance. Did you study dancing or something?” I asked him, I was obviously curious. 

“No, not really. I’m just a natural, I guess.” He smiled as he took the seat, looking at his girlfriend. Jihyo unnie looked a little taken aback too, but she kept her composure. Jihyo starts looking around and she suddenly smiles. “Jeongyeon. Truth or dare?” Thomas the train asked, the smirk on her face is very prevalent. 

“Aigoo. It’s me again? That fast?” Jeongyeon unnie chuckles, she motions Nayeon unnie who is currently sitting beside her to hand her another shot of soju. Nayeon unnie obliges. “Sana-ssi, I hope you didn’t input weird dares like last time.” Chuckles Jeongyeon unnie.

“Yah, unnie. Stop stalling the game and pick what you want!” Interrupts Momo unnie and she downs another shot of soju. I motion for Tzuyu to give me some soju, because my throat's a little dry as of the moment. 

“Alright, I’ll go with dare.” Jeongyeon unnie chuckles, and everyone listens to her intently. I was still holding onto the shot glass of Soju that Tzuyu had poured me a few seconds ago. I feel Tzuyu nudge me a little so I quickly down the shot, feeling the bitter taste in my tongue and the warm and somehow painful liquid run in my throat. I suddenly feel hot. 

“Okay, I dare you to kiss someone in here. Without malice of course.” Chuckles Jihyo unnie, it was obvious that she added the last line. 

“Oh, there goes the weird dare.” Chuckles Sana unnie, almost too loudly too. She seems out of it, I think we should start hiding the soju bottles now.

“Without Malice, huh?” Chuckles Jeongyeon unnie, she also seems a little out of it too. 

“Yes, without Malice.” Chuckles Jihyo unnie as she requests her boyfriend to pour her another shot of soju. 

“Hey, Dahyun-ah can you pour me one?” Her voice was very soft, almost too soft for the others to hear. But I heard her, I heard Mina ask Dahyun for a shot. I sneak a few glances and notice that she’s a little flushed now. She started drinking before everyone did, can champagne be considered a pre-game? I don’t know. 

“Hey, can I kiss you?” Asks Jeongyeon unnie as she stares at the girl beside her, Nayeon. Everyone became silent, it was as if the living room suddenly became very hot. Is it just me or everyone is dead silent? 

“Well, that’s convenient.” Teases Kim Dahyun, with a big smile on her face. 

“What does that even mean?” I asked her, I was confused. Shots were still happening, everyone had smiles on their faces. Well, this party’s a success indeed.

“Kissing your best friend, that’s the safest thing to do.” Replies Dahyun as she takes another shot, her nose scrunching right after she’s placed her glass on the wooden coffee table. 

"Isn't it supposed to be the exact opposite?" I ask her. 

“Sure.” Replies Nayeon unnie, not minding my exchange with Dahyun. Everyone started cheering, the cheering became louder as it became apparent that Jeongyeon unnie and Nayeon unnie were now facing each other. 

Just as Jeongyeon unnie was about to lean in for the kiss, from my peripheral vision I see Mina stand up and walk away slowly. It’s amazing how she’s always able to get out of the crowd without attracting that much attention from everyone. As I stand up, I see Jeongyeon unnie sweetly plant a kiss on Nayeon unnie’s forehead. 

_I have to go talk to her._

“Mina.” I firmly call her name, she's still in the confines of the dormitory. She’s just removed herself from the crowd. I see her sitting on the grass, her shoulders slumped. She looks up the moment she’s heard my voice. “What’s wrong? Why are you here?” I asked her immediately. 

“I want to be alone right now, Chaeyoung.” She sounded really serious. Like the stupid girl that I am, I sat beside her, trying to push her more. It’s been days since I’ve been alone with her. I just need to know.

“Do you want to be alone with me? Just imagine I’m not here.” I whisper, trying to understand where she’s coming from. Part of me knows why she’s out here but I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe she likes Nayeon unnie. I hear her sigh, she’s probably given up. She knows I won’t quit easily. “What’s up with you? I haven’t heard anything from you.” I add, my voice cracking at the process.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.” She replies, it’s as if she didn’t want to talk about it. 

I felt this stinging feeling inside me, why does it seem like she doesn’t care? How can she act this way? I feel as if she’s ignoring me on purpose and I’m afraid that it’s almost true. I just wish none of what I’m thinking is true.

“Are you ignoring me on purpose? Cause I feel like you are.” I finally tell her what I’m thinking. She lifts her head up and stares at me.

“I’m so sorry, I’ve just been so confused lately.” Replies the older girl, her eyebrows furrowed. The music inside the dorm can be heard even outside where we are. 

“Confused with what?” I ask her, wishing that it’s not Nayeon unnie that she’s pertaining to. She gave me this look, she seemed concerned and to be honest, I don’t like that look. 

“You’ve always been confused. You spin me around these complex emotions and then you suddenly leave me all by myself. You’ve done that so many times. At least give me a heads up if you’ll ever become distant again because I get confused too.” I add, telling her what I really think. What’s the point of sugar-coating things? 

Mina just stared at me, she looked hurt and taken aback with everything that I said. I know I should have gone a little easy on her, I knew. But it takes two to tango and I can’t keep with her pace anymore, I just wish she’d tell me. 

“Do you like Nayeon unnie?” I asked her, feeling myself crumble as the words slipped out of my mouth. She stared at me, she looked pained. She bit her lower lip and I heard her sigh once again. She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds which felt like a very long time. 

_Mina nods._

I stared at her for a few seconds and then without even knowing, tears fell from my eyes. She stared at me, obviously just staring at me crying. I couldn’t help it, it’s true. She does like someone else. Was I just a chess piece that she needed to move in order to realize her feelings for Nayeon unnie? 

_I felt my hands and feet both grow cold. Was I shaking? I don’t know._

“Was I just someone you used to realize your feelings for her?” I ask her, almost choking because the tears won’t stop. It was as if I was a fountain. The stinging feeling in my chest kept getting worse, it feels like I am physically drowning. 

“No.” She replies. 

“Then what am I to you?” I ask her. I’ve always wanted to ask her this. 

“I do not know.” She replies, slumping her shoulders and just looking down at the grass. 

I do not know what’s worse than just being someone’s toy-thing. I just stare at the sky and realize that I am more than this. I know that I am worth more than this and being hung because of this person isn’t worth it. 

“From now on let’s just be acquaintances.” I stand up and walk away. I felt foolish for walking away and letting her go but I couldn’t go on like that. I’m not some toy, I am Son Chaeyoung and I deserve better than that. After our conversation, I went straight home and locked myself inside my room. 

_I felt like a fool._

  
  



	25. Hurt until you no longer care

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Please enjoy this update!

**Third Person’s Point of View**

It’s been days since Chaeyoung confronted Mina about the truth. It clearly wasn’t easy for both of them to deal with their own truths, but it was something that was meant to happen. It would’ve ended ten times worse if Mina hadn’t come clean with what she really felt. 

The problem is Chaeyoung never really heard Mina’s end. Well, Cheayoung didn't hear all of it anyway. 

The first few days after Momo’s birthday was difficult for both of them. It was an unending cycle of avoiding and locking themselves in their own room. Even when they know when they’re alone, no one would dare to reach out to each other. This went on for days, they didn’t speak or look at each other. It’s as if there wasn’t anything between them in the first place. 

_Well, whatever that was in between them is gone anyway._

* * *

  
Mina has always wanted to give herself the closure that she’s wanted. She knew she deserved it. What she went through wasn’t something easy but she knows that it doesn’t justify the actions that she’s done. It doesn’t justify hurting Chaeyoung, what she did was wrong and she knew that she had to fix it. In order to fix things, she must start with the person who made her want to get to know Chaeyoung. 

_Im Nayeon_

Mina knew it wasn’t Nayeon that’s the problem per se, she knew the problem was her feelings for the girl. Well, as of the moment the lack thereof. Mina wants to talk to Nayeon and have the closure that she's never had. She knows that she won’t be able to continue with whatever she wants if she’s not able to tell the older girl the truth. 

“I’ve liked you for the longest time. I’ve liked you for the past three years.” Says Myoui Mina as she sips from the cup of Coffee that Nayeon has brewed for the both of them. Im Nayeon was wide-eyed when she heard the younger girl’s confession, it was something that she hadn’t seen coming. 

It was night time and it was the perfect time for both of them to talk about what Mina wanted to discuss. It was only the both of them and to be honest, Mina has always wanted to talk about the situation but she hasn’t had the time to do so.

“I uh...Wow. That’s a lot.” Replies Nayeon as she sipped on her cup of coffee forcibly, she did it in order to not look at the younger girl directly. Nayeon was taken aback, it was too much indeed especially now with her current situation. 

“Please calm down.” Chuckles Mina as she tries to make Nayeon face her. Nayeon was looking away but caved in because of the younger girl’s insistence. 

“I’m sorry but this is too much to process.” Huffs the older girl. Nayeon was beyond stressed, she’s confused and is almost at her limit. 

“You don’t have to process anything.” Replies Mina, she sounded calm. It was as if she knew that the older girl would react this way.

“What do you mean?” Nayeon was now confused more than ever. 

“I already did all the processing.” replies Mina without skipping a beat, she sounded almost like a Robot which made Nayeon a little worried for her life. “And all my processing has led me to the conclusion that you and Jeongyeon unnie are more than friends.” Adds Mina, she sounded sure.

Im Nayeon stared at the girl for a few seconds for good measure. 

“Oh wow.” Huffs Im Nayeon, she knew that the girl was smart but never thought Jeongyeon and her were dumb enough to get caught. She stared at the girl, she knew explaining would do nothing at this point. “Well, that’s correct. Jeongyeon and I, we’re more than friends.” Nayeon finally lets the truth out. "I mean, I don't really have to explain anything to you since I know you're just like me." Says Nayeon. 

“I’m not telling you this because I want something to happen between us.” Clarifies Mina, she sounded sure and strong. It was as if she was already at peace with what’s happening. 

“Well, if I gave in, then that would be cheating.” Chuckles Nayeon, sipping on her cup of coffee. 

“I’m also not telling you this because I’m heads over heels for you.” Continues the younger girl, it seems like she’s practiced all her lines before. She seems very confident with every word. 

“Well, thank the gods above for that.” Chuckles Nayeon. 

“My feelings for you are long overdue if that’s what you’re thinking.” Laughs Mina, a hearty laugh. The type of laugh she hadn’t experienced in a while. “I just think I deserve closure, you know? Plus you deserve to know the truth, it’s a truth that lives in the past at least.” Mina makes everything clear.

“First of all, I am flattered. I am thankful.” Smiles Nayeon, she may seem immature most of the times but right now she radiates a sisterly vibe. 

“Well, you’re welcome. It was an experience that I would not recommend anyone to try.” Laughs Mina, she’s at peace and she feels resolved with her ordeal with Nayeon now. 

Both the girls stared at each other, the deafening silence between them is growing more and more. Is this where one throws the punchline and everybody laughs? I’m afraid this isn’t a sit-com. 

“For the record, I know we wouldn’t have worked out.” Says Mina out of nowhere. This catches the older girl’s attention. Nayeon stared at Mina, the younger girl’s statement was in a way controversial. 

“It’s because I’ll always have to compete with your first love. I don’t want to put myself through that awful situation.” Mina adds. 

“You’re right. It would have been unfair for you.” Replies Nayeon. 

This hits Mina, in a way that opened her eyes. In a way, Chaeyoung is just like her. It wasn’t Chaeyoung’s fault that she caught feelings for someone who couldn’t understand even herself. Nayeon was like this, she was battling with feelings for Jeongyeon. Mina was lucky enough to have dodged the awful situation. Son Chaeyoung however, wasn’t so lucky. Mina regrets hurting Chaeyoung that way, she knew what she did was awful. 

“It would have.” Mina replies softly, feeling this sharp digging pain inside her. The realization that she had unconsciously caused pain to Son Chaaeyoung is just hitting her. She always thought of herself as someone who won’t cause pain, well, maybe she's wrong.

“Good evening unnies.” Son Chaeyoung greets the older girls. She sounds weak, as if she hadn’t been eating and sleeping properly for days. 

It must have been the depth of the conversation that caused Mina and Nayeon to not notice Chaeyoung go in. Both of them were preoccupied with their own issues. Nayeon stared and smiled at the younger girl, offering her a cup of coffee. Son Chaeyoung was quick to decline the offer, she sounded nice and polite though. 

“Yeah, you’re right. It seems like you’ve had a tiring day.” Says Im Nayeon, Chaeyoung only nods. 

Mina couldn’t really say anything, she just stared. She was consumed with guilt, she felt responsible for hurting the poor girl. She can see it Chaeyoung’s eyes that the girl doesn’t want anything to do with her. It was as if Chaeyoung had cut their ties in her mind. 

“Yeah, well, I have to go now. Have a nice evening both of you.” Replies Son Chaeyoung as she marched towards her room, dragging her feet with her, the sound of distaste ringing inside the dorm. 

* * *

That night Mina and Nayeon had cleared the air between them. Mina has accepted that she and Nayeon can only be friends and she’s happy about it. Her feelings for the older girl are long overdue anyway, so what’s the point of tirelessly being stressed about it? 

One thing kept Myoui awake though. It’s the thought of Son Chaeyoung. She admits it, her bed felt empty. If only she was honest enough. 

  
  


Myoui Mina felt as if she needed to reach out to Son Chaeyoung. It wasn’t right how they ended. She struggled to sleep at night. Concentrating with work was possible only when she’s not in the dormitory. But whenever she’s in these four walls? She can’t help but think of Son Chaeyoung. She knew that she’s bothered, it’s just that she kept on pushing things and ignoring her feelings. 

_“From now on let’s just be acquaintances.”_

Those words rang inside her head. What’s worse is the volume was getting stronger each day she distanced herself from Chaeyoung. Was she going crazy? Is this her conscience trying to guilt trip her for being horrible to the younger girl? It was more than that though, when she said she was delighted to have Chaeyoung in her life, that was true. She knew she wasn’t kidding when she said that. 

_“From now on let’s just be acquaintances.”_

Why does it hurt so much? Every time she sees Chaeyoung in the dorms, she feels this urge to approach her and just talk. But there was something in the way how Chaeyoung said those words that made Mina realize that the younger girl was serious. Chaeyoung was hurt and Mina hoped that she would at least be able to fix her mistake. 

* * *

There have been multiple times when Mina had seen an opening to bug or ask Son Chaeyoung about things. But as usual, Mina would feel scared and would chicken out. Mina wasn’t used to reaching out to people, well, she hasn’t really done anything this severe her whole life that’s why she feels so lost with how to handle the situation. 

Mina felt stupid. She knew she was smart but she felt stupid for not being honest with the young girl. She knew she had to do something before it’s too late. But how? Mina is sharp and witty. That was out of the question, getting things done was something she’s really good at. Well, maybe. 

“Hey, can you help me with something?” It felt weird, Mina thought she sounded almost like a colleague. She never thought it would come out like that, it was the best that she could do after all. She’s listed ways of how to approach Chaeyoung, she couldn’t believe that she’s picked the worst one on the spot. 

The young girl was sitting inside her room, Mina was dumb enough to impulsively stand in the girl’s door frame. She knew it was risky but oh well, backing down would make her look dumb. Chaeyoung looked a little taken aback, it was obvious that she just woke up. 

“Yeah, sure.” Chaeyoung immediately answered, turning her back in the process. She sounded plain, very dutiful, and just nonchalant as a whole. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen in 45, I’ll be there.” She adds as she grabs her toiletries. 

It’s been almost two weeks already since Mina and Chaeyoung’s last conversation. Working on the research was the only way for both of them to interact and be in the same space together. Less than forty-five minutes later, Chaeyoung was in the Kitchen. She had recently come out of the shower. Chaeyoung made it clear that she wanted to get work done fast. 

_The air between them was stiff._

Mina felt suffocated, the younger girl wasn’t really saying much. Instead, she worked silently, almost too silent for Mina to have the courage to strike up a conversation. It was weird, everything about them felt weird. They weren’t seated together, instead, they were seated across each other. They were silent, Mina wasn’t really doing much work. She can’t stop herself from taking a few glances every few minutes. 

_The tension was high._

“Hey, how’s it going over there?” Asked the older girl, she was hesitant to converse with Chaeyoung, very hesitant to the point that she heard her own voice quiver a little. Chaeyoung’s eyes were glued on the screen but the moment Mina opened her mouth, the younger girl immediately stared. 

“Well, nothing’s really coming up unnie.” Replies Chaeyoung, almost unenthusiastically too. Chaeyoung wanted to engage in conversation with the older girl, but she was afraid too. She was too afraid to get hurt once again. She has kept her guards up. 

“I guess we’ve arrived at another dead end.” Replies Mina, she was sad with how they’ve arrived at nothing once again. But she was more upset with the fact that Chaeyoung is calling her unnie again. 

Chaeyoung couldn’t help but stare at Mina, she hasn’t been in the same space with the girl for a long time. She admits it feels nice, it feels good to see a familiar face. But Chaeyoung can’t remove the image of Mina and Nayeon talking in the kitchen last night. 

_What were they doing?_

“We’ll figure it out, unnie.” Replies Chaeyoung, she was tired too. They’ve been facing they’re laptop for almost three hours now, her eyes hurt and she thinks she needs to rest. Mina was silent, for her it felt good that Chaeyoung reassured her. 

“Chaeng-ah.” Mina calls the younger girl’s attention. She was scared, it felt as if she was going to suffocate. Is this her conscience trying to suffocate her for being such an asshole? Well, Mina thinks she deserved it. However, Mina felt happy seeing Chaeyoung, she never thought she’d feel this happy again. She’s currently questioning why she’s feeling this way. 

_Chaeyoung makes Mina happy._

Chaeyoung’s gaze was soft, it wasn’t blank nor indifferent. Mina questions how she was able to hurt this person in front of her. Realizations flood her head, she wants to talk to the younger girl. Is that request too much?

“It’s way past lunchtime, do you maybe want to grab a bite with me?” Asks Mina. She was hopeful because Chaeyoung has always been kind after all. She stared at the younger girl, hoping she’d say yes. 

“My eyes hurt, unnie. I think I’ll rest in my room for now.” Replies Chaeyoung. She can see the hurt and disappointment in Mina’s eyes. Chaeyoung couldn’t bear to see it so she stood up and walked to her room, leaving Mina in her seat. Alone.

_Kind but not soft._

“I deserve that.” Whispers Mina to herself, she knew this won’t be the last time she’ll bug the younger girl for a meal together. This is only the start of getting her back. 

* * *

**Son Chaeyoung’s Point of View**

“What are you guys doing here?” I was too taken aback to process everything. There they were, my family. They were standing right outside my dorm’s door, all smiles. 

“Yah, aren’t you going to let us in? That’s very rude of you, noona.” Jokes my younger brother as he takes the lead into entering my dorm. My parents followed, my mom stopped in her tracks to give me a big warm hug. It felt nice, I haven’t seen them in over a month and it’s nice to see them here, even though this visit is unannounced. 

* * *

“I missed you guys.” I huffed as I placed the pot of freshly brewed tea on the coffee table. Jeonghoon’s currently staring at the game console tastefully. “You guys could’ve informed me so I could’ve prepared or something.” I complained and I heard my father chuckle. 

“There’s no need to inform you.” Dad replies, his hair is different. Did he perm it? “We’re staying here for a few days, and we wanted to let you know. You’re still our daughter, you know?” Adds dad which made me crack up a bit. 

“Also, we were wondering if you’d want to eat dinner with us.” Mom says this out of nowhere, knowing her, she won’t take no for an answer. I just stare at her, I then agree. I could use some time away from this dormitory. “Where are the others? I would like to meet them.” She adds, knowing my mom she meant more than what she said. 

“Oh wow.” Was all I could say. Sana unnie isn’t here, so is Tzuyu. Nayeon unnie is probably in the dorm next door. That leaves me with Mina. I sigh, what could my mom want this time. “I mean, you’re staying here for a short while, right? You can visit next time and meet them then.” I tell her, trying to stand up.

“They aren’t home?” Asks my brother, he was still eyeing the game console. “Can I please play? It’s getting boring here.” He adds, he sounds hopeful. 

“No, that’s not mi--” I was taken aback to see Mina walk out of her room. She looked cautious and a little curious about the people in the living room. My parents saw my reaction and immediately shifted their gaze to the direction where I am looking. 

“Good evening Mister and Missis Son.” She bows her head, she must’ve heard how I addressed everyone. My parents immediately stood up and they exchanged greetings. I see her smile for the first time in a while.

“Well, that settles it. Let’s all have dinner together. Would you like that, Mina-sshi?” Mom asked her, she sounds persuasive. Mina stared at me and I just looked away, I don’t want to influence her decision. 

“That’s a lovely idea, Missis Son.” She replied, I immediately stared at her. I see her smile at both my parents, a gummy smile. 

* * *

“So, Mina. You also have a brother. An older brother that plays American football?” Asks dad as he cuts through his steak. 

I am currently seated beside Mina. Well, who else should she sit with? She can't sit beside my nosy brother, God knows what he might ask her. We were dining at the Hotel where my parents are staying. Jeonghoon accompanied them here and he’s supposed to travel home tomorrow. They thought it was a nice idea to dine close to where they’re staying. 

“Yes, sir. He’s five years older and his name is Kai.” She smiles as she sips on her glass of wine. 

“How’s noona in the dorms, Mina noona?” My brother asked, I know he wasn’t interested in the answer. I know he just wanted to annoy me, what an asshole. Mina stared at me and she smiled. 

_I was completely taken aback._

“She’s a very nice roommate. Also, we attend the same University. I've heard she’s a very active student.” Smiles Mina, I couldn't help but cough. I feel uncomfortable. 

“Anyway, it’s nice to finally meet one of her housemates.” Smiles Mom. She seemed genuinely happy to finally meet and interact with one of them which I think is lovely. My mom doesn't have to know what's going on between me and this girl. 

“Yeah, our daughter can be very stubborn sometimes but she’s a good girl.” Adds dad, I see him give my mother the look. Jeonghoon, as always, is clueless. He’s probably just here to eat steak. Brat.

“She’s absolutely perfect, sir.” She smiles.

I almost dropped my fork, hearing her say those words made my ears feel really hot. It felt as if the heat was traveling to my face. She just glanced at me, smiling, a shy smile. How the hell can she act like she's never done something wrong? Does she not take me seriously? 

“She’s never given us any type of problem.” She sounded sad when she said this. 

How can she play so innocent in front of my family? 

“You know what, I’m happy that you’re in the same dorm as my daughter. This makes me more comfortable and assured that she’s well taken care of.” Smiles mom, this made me a little uncomfortable. I don’t know what to feel so I just kept silent, picking at my food. 

“Take care of my bratty older sister, Mina noona. I think I like you.” He smiles as he digs in his mashed potatoes. Mina smiled. 

“Hoon-ah, eat your food.” I strictly remind my younger brother but the brat just gave me this spiteful look which immediately changed when his eyes landed on Mina. Mina returned the favor and smiled at him too.

* * *

Jeonghoon, Mom, and Dad have finally returned to their room. I never expected for the dinner to go that well, it wasn’t awkward at all. The only problem was me, I somehow felt cheated that my family likes her. See? I’m right, Myoui Mina is a very likeable person. Even though she’s an introvert, she can converse with people when the need is there.

“Hey, your parents are wonderful.” Mina says this out of nowhere, we just got out of the taxi and I just stared at her. I wasn’t sure what to reply, I had to admit it, it felt nice to see that she got along with my family. 

“Thank you. They loved your company, unnie.” I reply, I feel like this is the best response. Myoui Mina stared at me, and I just stared back. We were right outside the gate, fiddling with our feet, and just wasting our time. “I’m going to head inside now.” I tell her, I still felt bitter about what happened on Momo unnie’s birthday. All I can say is, it’s way too soon for us to be talking. I’ve already told her what I wanted, what else does she not understand about that?

“Don’t you want to hang out?” She sounded hesitant when she said this. 

“What? Out here? It’s too cold. I’m not crazy.” I replied almost too immediately, I may have sounded a little too harsh because she seemed a little taken aback with my response. I just stare at her, I wanted to tell her I was sorry but at the same time, I don’t want to apologize. 

“Chaeng-ah, I just want to talk.” She says this, her voice was strong but there was a hint of cautiousness in it. 

“We’ve already conversed enough.” Tell her, I feel as if I am being torn inside. It felt horrible being mean to her, but I couldn’t help it. It still hurts, whenever I look at Nayeon unnie I feel as if I am being cheated. I feel as if I'm just second best and I'm just her option. I feel like I'm not important enough and I want to change that. 

“Son Chaeyoung.” She seemed impatient, she was hurt, I knew. I’ve heard that voice before and of course, her eyes could never lie. 

“Thank you for granting my mom’s wish, but the show's over. You can stop pretending that you like me now.” I reply, immediately turning my back and walking inside the dormitory leaving her outside.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you guys like that?


	26. Power equates to Justice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you guys enjoy this update!

**Hirai Momo’s Point of View**

“Unnie, you have to get here. Quick.” It was past 12 midnight when we received a call from Kim Dahyun. She didn’t really say much, she only said she needed us there and that there was an emergency. It was mysterious, to say the least, to hear that from Dahyun, what type of trouble could she have gotten herself in? That’s all I could think about. 

“What’s wrong? It’s midnight, Dahyun-ah. Why aren’t you home yet?” I asked her, I was simply concerned. I didn’t mean to come off as indifferent. 

“Sana’s hurt.” She cried over the phone. 

Those words, those two words were enough to send everyone to an overdrive. Since Sana lived in the house next door, everyone, I mean everyone tagged along. It was Chaos, none of us knew what we would see in the Hospital but we go anyway.

* * *

It was chaotic and almost embarrassing to be in the emergency room, there’s a lot of us frantically searching for any sign of Sana and Dahyun. Thankfully, we were told that Sana was now in stable condition and is indeed in her own private room. Though visiting hours was over hours ago, we begged the nurses to let us see our friend. It took a lot of convincing before the nurses actually let us inside. 

“Unnie, Sana was cornered by Min Woo in an alley.” Kim Dahyun seems to be in a state of shock. She's limiting her words for some reason too, I just stare at her as I try to figure out how to talk to her. She had this look in her eyes, it suggested she was uncomfortable. 

“I have so many questions in my head right now.” Says Jeongyeon unnie, she was obviously confused and annoyed. We were all outside of Sana’s room, Dahyun insisted it wasn’t the best time to go inside.

“Is she hurt bad?” Asks Mina, her eyes are glazed. She was obviously worried, her voice was shaky. 

“Some wounds, no major injuries.” Replies Dahyun. She was shaking, it must have been difficult for her to witness everything. 

_Wait, why is she the first person to know?_

“Were you with Sana? I’m really confused right now. I’ve got more questions in my head than answers.” I told her, I was being honest. It feels as if so much has been going on and that I do not have a single clue about any of them. 

“Dahyun-ah, come here.” Says Jihyo, Dahyun walks over to her. “Guys, please take your seats. I need to talk to her.” Jihyo said gently but she still had this firm tone in her voice. We all stared for a while and then took our seats. 

“I hope Sana’s doing fine.” Says Nayeon, she was trembling. Jeongyeon was right beside her, her arms around the girl as a sign of comfort. I was beside Mina, she was silent, also a little stiff. 

* * *

**Park Jihyo’s Point of view**

There’s an understanding between me and the others when I tell them what to do, somehow they would always obey and follow my words. Tonight wasn’t an exception, I told them to stay outside and wait for the confirmation that Sana does want to talk. Things have become more complicated lately, I just want the best for everyone. 

“Okay, so let me get this straight.” I started, I was confused as hell. The information overload wasn’t helping at all. “You were sorting out the trash and taking them out? You threw the trash in the alleyway dumpster where…” I trailed off, I stared at Sana and she seemed pained. She was on her bed. She had some bruises on her arms and face, she probably tripped or something. 

“Where she encountered Min Woo, yes.” Says Dahyun, she was seated in the corner of the room. It seemed as if she was trying to distance herself from Sana, this gave me an odd feeling.

“And how did you know all this?” I asked her, I was obviously confused, both of them had loopholes in their story. Dahyun stared at me with a confused look in her face. It seemed as if the question floored her. 

“Well, I uh…” Kim Dahyun trailed off, trying to come up with an excuse that she could probably tell me. I just stare at her, waiting for what she's come up with. 

“She came to pick me up from work.” Replies Sana, it was the first time she ever said anything. I stared at her, she didn't seem shaken. I just sigh, I knew there really was something more. I just knew it, but it felt wrong to ask them more questions. 

“I know you guys aren’t telling me everything.” I tell them, crossing my arms. “But I will let it go for now. I just want you guys to know that you can trust me and you can tell me anything.” I reassure them, Sana was now once again just looking at her sheets. Dahyun was staring at her, it was as if I didn’t really exist. 

“Noted, unnie.” Says Dahyun. Sana seemed a little off, she looks really out of it. It was dawn, after all, everyone’s supposed to be asleep but here we all are. Everyone wanted to be in when we heard Sana was hurt. 

“The girls have tons of questions.” I tell them the truth. “Dahyun, you’ve heard Momo, right? She’s very inquisitive and smart, what am I supposed to tell them?” I ask them, I don’t want any of this to spill. “Nobody knows that you’ve dropped out.” I tell Sana who’s now looking at me. Dahyun was just silently listening. 

“We need to come up with a story if you don’t want them to know anything.” I tell her. 

“Please let them in, I’m ready to tell them everything and more.” Says Sana, she was staring at Dahyun. Dahyun seemed a little taken aback but she’s trying her best not to react much. 

* * *

**THIRD PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW**

Jihyo was a little taken aback when Sana confirmed that it was fine to let the other girls inside, she was afraid that Sana wouldn’t be able to answer all the questions. But worrying isn’t really something that she should be doing, Sana’s an adult after all. 

_Hugging._

There was so much hugging and crying when the other girls were allowed inside. Everyone hurried towards Sana’s bed, some were sitting on the bed’s edge and some were just standing. Jihyo and Dahyun sat beside each other, they both knew one way or another Sana would need their help. But for now, it’s time they just listen. 

“What the hell happened you dummy?!” Asks Momo, she was standing. She chose not to hug Sana, she just stood there it was apparent that she was annoyed. Sana just smiled, she chose to play coy and not answer Momo’s inquiry. 

“Are you okay?” Asks Nayeon, she was the one that’s crying. She was emotional out of all the people because she feels as if it’s partly at fault. "Wait, don't answer that. Of course, you're not. That was a stupid question, I'm sorry." Nayeon immediately adds. 

“Sana unnie, I think this will cause scarring.” Says Chaeyoung as she points at the scar on Sana’s arm. Jeongyeon chuckled as she lightly smacks Chaeyoung’s head. 

“You’re not hurt, right?” Asks Mina, she was next Chaeyoung amidst the tension between them. “The important thing is you’re doing fine. Please don’t be hurt next time.” Mina’s voice trembled, Nayeon’s crying also affected Mina. She’s biting her lower lip, Chaeyong, without thinking, pats Mina's shoulder. 

Tzuyu was standing there, she didn’t sit on the hospital bed’s edge. She just stood there far away from Sana, feeling as if her heart was broken at the sight. She couldn’t help it, she can’t stop thinking that it might be her fault that’s why Sana is in this hospital right now. She felt horrible, she wanted to hug the girl but she’s afraid she’ll only break down crying if she touches Sana. For her, it was best to just stand still. Be far away, that’s the best for the both of them right now.

“Sana, is there something you’re not telling us?” Asks Momo. “Why were you and Dahyun out and about at midnight? You’re supposed to be home early.” Says Momo, the girl was just going at it. She asked what she wanted, no filters included.

Jihyo and Dahyun anticipated for the girl to ask this, Momo was naturally inquisitive. Dahyun wanted to stand up and be with Sana but she knew Sana could do this herself. 

“I’ve dropped out.” 

When Sana said this, it seemed like it was something difficult for her to talk about. The girl’s shoulders were slumped and she stared down. It was as if she was embarrassed to talk about it. Everyone was silent for seconds, the room was dead silent and that is incredibly amazing for a room full of girls. 

“I just felt as if what I was doing was pointless and that nothing was going my way. I dropped out to take off some steam and that’s how I ended up working at the convenience store near the mulberry street.” She breathed, Sana was red. It seemed as if she was really tired, she needed to rest too but she also needed to answer the questions. Dahyun noticed Sana’s difficulty with trying to come up with the right words. 

“We have evidence now to put Min Woo to jail.” Dahyun stands up. It was as if everyone was a little Shaken, Nayeon just stared at Dahyun. She couldn't believe what she's hearing. 

“Please tell me you’re not joking.” Says Jeongyeon, she too was taken aback. She had no time to listen to one of Dahyun’s jokes. 

“Dahyun-ah, please.” Says Nayeon, her voice was shaking. The others just stared and listened, they didn’t know how to react. It was as if it was too good to be true. 

“The convenience store at Mulberry street and its alleyways are filled with CCTV cameras.” Kim Dahyun says this calmly. The air in the room suddenly became serious and it was just silent. No one dared to talk. 

“This might be it.” Smiles Nayeon. “This might end this nightmare.” she adds, she stared at Jeongyeon of all people. This was the first time Jihyo heard this, she then stood up. 

“Yoo Jeongyeon and Im Nayeon, you both come with me to Sana’s workplace tomorrow.” Park Jihyo declares.

* * *

**Son Chaeyoung’s Point of View**

Jihyo unnie is the one that’s driving Momo, Jeongyeon, Nayeon, and Tzuyu home. Which meant I was alone with Mina, again. It’s embarrassing enough that I got a little hot-headed around her last night after dinner. It's embarrassing how it seems like I'm still undecided about what to feel around her. Should I be mad? Should I be neutral? Should I not care? I don't even know. 

In all honesty, I just feel stupid because even after everything that has happened, I still can't get her out of my head. 

I just sat outside, in the hall where there were seats. Mina’s together with Sana and Dahyun, they’re probably talking about stuff. It hasn’t been that long since the others left to go home, it will probably take a while before Jihyo unnie returns. I’ll just be alone then. 

“You can come in, you know.” Says a familiar voice, I look up and see Kim Dahyun. She looked beat up and just unwell, which brings me to my next question. 

“How the hell were you there at the right moment?” I asked her. With Kim Dahyun, introductions aren’t needed, I can go straight in whenever I want. It comes naturally since I’ve known her for so long. 

“I was there to pick her up.” She answered, almost too enthusiastically. I just stared at her, I know something was up but I was too tired to even bother asking her. “How have you been? I haven’t heard anything from you in a while.” She tries to change the route of our conversation. 

“I feel like shit, Dahyun.” I tell her since I really trust her. 

“I feel like shit too, Son Chaeyoung.” She replies, I try to think of something clever to respond but it feels like I just want to be truthful around her. She’s my friend after all. 

“What’s the reason?” I ask her, trying my best to make her open up to me. 

“The girl in the hospital bed and I think you already know the reason.” She replies, she doesn’t look at me but I feel the sincerity in her voice. “You?” She returns the question. I just breathe out a loud sad sigh.

“The girl who’s accompanying the girl in the hospital bed. I also think you already know the reason.” I tell her and I feel her put her arm around me. 

* * *

**THIRD PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW**

The next day was somehow of bliss, it came and went like it didn’t even happen. Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Nayeon were persistent to collect and have evidence against Jung Min Woo. Everyone was terrified of what he might do next, it was scary and admittedly they don’t know what’s coming for them next. 

Thankfully Sana’s workplace was quick enough to save the footage. It was as if destiny itself wanted Jung Min Woo to perish in prison. 

The scary thing was the manager told them that a guy who fit Jung Min Woo’s description came to visit hours before them to have the tape. The guy was very insistent and offered a large sum of money in order to acquire the footage, the manager was about to call the police but the guy quickly walked away when the tension became unbearable.

Everything was good and the three girls felt victorious that they were able to have evidence that they could present against Jung Min Woo. However, when they got to the police station, the officers told them that the evidence could only be used for Sana’s assault. 

“What? You’re telling me that what happened to our friend cannot be connected to her stalking?” Asks Jeongyeon as she points at Nayeon, she was fuming and she thought the police were full of shit. “Is this a joke? Tell me you’re kidding.” Jeongyeon’s voice was raised, Jihyo and Nayeon haven’t heard her speak this way. 

“Jeongyeon-ah.” Jihyo tries to get a hold of the girl’s arm. She felt the girl’s stiffness. “Let’s get out of here.” Adds Jihyo as she pulls the two emotional girls outside of the police station.

“How can they say everything is just coincidental? It’s not!” Exclaims Nayeon, the three of them have decided it was best if they cooled down for a bit before going home. They can’t go home and disappoint the girls once again. They felt ashamed. 

“It's Only us who can say that.” Says Jihyo as she sips on her cup of coffee. 

“What does that even mean? It’s obvious the attack was indeed connected.” Adds Jeongyeon. 

“Will you relax? They’re already on the look for Min Woo for the assault. This only means the police are already on the lookout for him.” Replies Jihyo, the girl sounded a little frustrated. The tension between her and Jeongyeon can be felt in the air. 

“Stop it, you two.” Says Nayeon. 

Nayeon has the heart of a child, everyone knows this. She’s a kid in the body of a young adult, this may be difficult to comprehend, but it was the truth. She’s bubbly, funny, and above all, she’s cute. But that doesn’t mean she can’t act like the oldest. She had this look on her face that suggested that she was upset at the two. 

“This isn’t the time for an argument.” Says Nayeon, she was stern. She’s doing her best not to look distressed. “Let’s be thankful that we already have something. We’ll get there, let’s take baby steps.” She adds. Nayeon wanted to cry but she knows it wasn’t the appropriate time for her to cry. 

“Everything’s going to be alright.” Says Nayeon to calm the younger girls. "All of this will be over soon." She adds.

* * *

**Kim Dahyun’s Point of View**

“Yeah, don’t worry so much about us.” I answer Momo’s call from the other line. 

“Are you sure you don’t want anyone to come to pick you up from the hospital?” She asked, she was obviously concerned but I don’t really want to bother them. I was outside, in the hall, I don’t really want to bother Sana. She was inside, just sitting on her bed. 

“Anyway, I’ll hang up now. Okay? I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry about it.” I tell Momo and hang up. I entered the room expecting Sana to be asleep, but there she was, watching television. I just sat far away from her, I am willing to give her the space she needs. Every now and then I would steal glances, I just hope she didn't notice anything. 

“How long have we been here, Dahyun-ah?” She asked, she sounded soft. I stare at her, it’s the first time she’s conversed with me in weeks. I couldn’t believe it. 

“Almost a day now.” I replied, I was still seated right across her. I was relatively far away from her, but the room was quiet so she could hear me. “How are you feeling?” I ask, I was genuinely curious as to how she was. 

“I feel so much better now, can we go home? I hate it here.” She says this in a way that somehow pained me. Seeing Sana in a hospital bed with bruises just breaks my heart. I looked at her, her cheeks were flushed. 

“The doctor said you can be released tomorrow morning.” I say this and look down at my phone. I feel a little awkwardness between us and its thickness is outstanding. She was silent for a while, it won’t be dinner for a while. Still a little over two hours before dinner, should I leave her here? That doesn’t sound so good. 

“Hey.” I call her attention, she immediately lifts her head up and stares at me. She had this look on her face which seemed as if she was expecting me to make the first move. I breathed out, I’m still a little freaked out with what happened last night. 

“Can I sit beside you?” I ask her. 

I do not know whether it’s just me but for a split second, I see her smile. Maybe it really was just me. 

“Yes, of course.” She smiled and tapped the seat beside her bed. Of course, I take the seat. I was happy that she agreed, it’s nice being near her. “You should’ve asked sooner.” She whispered. 

I looked up immediately, I was a little shaken with what she said. I feel my cheeks become hot. 

“What?” I asked almost all too immediately too. 

“What?” She asked too, she had this coy look on her face. 

We were silent for a while, I was just there sitting beside her but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was something that was pleasant, given the fact that I was seated close to her. It was nice. I can’t complain. 

“Kim Dahyun.” she calls my attention. I immediately stared at her, not really saying anything. “Thanks for being there when it happened.” She sounds embarrassed when she says this, it’s as if she didn’t really want to say anything. 

“Yeah.” That was all I could say. I was embarrassed to admit I was there, it’s as if I was stalking her. But that wasn’t really what I was doing. Actually, I asked Tzuyu if I could be the one to take Sana home last night, but I fucked up. I fucked up so badly. 

“About what happened---” I cut her off immediately, I knew what she meant and I just wanted to get ahead before she said anything about it. 

“I’m sorry for everything that I’ve said. I’m stupid, I wish you’d forgive me.” I huffed, it felt as if words spilled out of my mouth. They kept coming without censor, my apologies are true. She stared at me, it seemed as if she was a little taken aback with the aggressiveness of my tone. 

Instead of replying, I feel her reach for my hand. 

“I missed you so much. It hurt to see you around and not being able to talk to you, it felt like I was being punished for being selfish.” Words came out of my mouth like bullets, filtering wasn’t an option. 

“Kim Dahyun.” She tries to stop me.

“If I could apologize to you a thousand times, I would do it. I miss you and I can’t imagine living every day knowing that I’ve hurt you.” I plead, holding her hand tighter. Now I’m just looking down, it’s because I feel tears start to form in my eyes. 

“I forgive you.” She says this so easily and it felt as if a big chunk of weight has been lifted off of me. "I missed you too." She whispers. 


	27. Cold Nights in Seoul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! I just updated the book cover, thank you Jade. You helped me so much. Please enjoy the update!

**KIM DAHYUN’S POINT OF VIEW**

When Sana was discharged from the hospital I was the only one to accompany her. On our way home I always thought it was selfish of me to turn down Jihyo unnie’s offer to drive us home. I haven’t had that much time with her and my dumb ass was too concerned about being embarrassed that’s why I hadn’t really asked her important questions. 

“Just to get this out of my chest…” I trail off. We were in her room, the others were busy doing their own thing. Of course, none of them suspected of anything. I think? 

“What?” She looked up from her phone, I was on the edge of her bed just sitting uncomfortably. 

“Jihyo unnie offered me to give us a ride but I rejected it because I wanted to talk to you in private.” I told her, but it felt like I hadn't really delivered my message clearly. 

“I see…” She trails off, awkwardly looking down her phone. “What do you mean by that? You know, talk to me privately.” She adds, she was as confused as I was. 

“Ah, well…” I trail off, I wasn’t prepared for questions. In my head, we were only doing this one-way thing. I didn't really think we'd exchange words. 

“You see, the way I see it, you could’ve conversed to me in the Taxi on our way home. I mean, am I right?” She asks me, she didn’t sound mad. In fact, she seemed confused, she was already looking at me. Her eyes seemed friendly so that sort of calmed me down. 

“I had no balls, I guess.” I reply weakly, I meant figuratively. Not literally. I mean, can't grow balls anyway cause I'm a female. 

“Obviously.” Sana replies mischievously. I looked at her, confused by her change of tone. Is she toying with me right now? I stared at her for a bit, trying to understand what was happening.

* * *

**Son Chaeyoung’s Point of View**

There hasn’t really been much for me. All I’ve ever done lately is go to University, go home, and study for my tests. Well, I also had to prepare for the upcoming school festival so that’s another thing that’s I’m still not really sure about. I’ve already completed my sponsorship letters and I’ve collected the solicitations. Now, that leaves me with my responsibilities with the committee in which I belong to. 

Things have gone back to normal. Well, too normal I guess. My life’s been quiet lately since I’ve broken things off with Mina. I mean, not that there was really something between us to cut anyway. 

_What were we? Friends. Friends that had fun._

“As you can see here, we still need a lot to work on with our committee. Remember that we’re in logistics. This department needs sharp people. I hate stupid people who aren’t quick-witted.” Says Haesoo, she’s our Senior. She had this smug look on her face. I hate that even though I sit so far away from her, I can see her dumb face. 

“This bitch…” Trails off Tzuyu, she’s currently seated next to me. Of course, we’re in the same committee, we can’t be separated. “She doesn’t even do shit. How about she stop ordering everyone around and start working her ass too?” Adds Chou Tzuyu. She’s whispering which is a good thing, I don’t want to get in trouble. 

"Yeah, I think she does need to work on her ass. Girlie's got a flat ass." I joking whisper back to Tzuyu. 

"I didn't..." Tzuyu trails off. "I wasn't looking at her ass, Chaeyoung-ah. I meant, she should try working like us too." She tries to make her point clear. I just giggle softly, hoping Haesoo and the other Seniors wouldn't notice.

“With that big mouth of hers? Impossible.” I replied back, making sure Haesoo wasn’t looking our way. 

“It would be a delight to push her off the stairs.” Tzuyu adds, she had a mischievous look on her face which made me chuckle. 

“Honestly, super gluing her mouth would be the best option.” I whisper back, chuckling a little too loud for our own good. 

“You two.” A firm voice calls our attention, it was Haesoo. “Would you like to share whatever you are talking about?” her voice was mocking. I stared at Tzuyu who was staring at the senior blankly. 

“We didn’t say anything.” Lies Chou Tzuyu without skipping a beat. 

“How come I heard your little chit-chat then?” Smiles Haesoo sarcastically. “I clearly heard you guys. I am discussing things, can you not talk over me?” She stared, it seemed as if she was about to humiliate us. 

“Honestly, if you were really passionate about talking then you wouldn’t really hear us. We were whispering, just so you know. You know what? You’re just nitpicking.” Smiles Tzuyu, she stands up and grabs me by the arm too. “If you actually did your job, things would be easier. Don’t you think so?” Adds Tzuyu, obviously she was right. Before the senior and the others could react, Chou Tzuyu then drags me out of the room. 

* * *

“Thanks for putting me out of my misery.’’ I whispered as the both of us walked inside the campus. She stared at me, and then she just shrugged. “You must be tired too, huh?” I ask her. 

"Your misery is mine." She Chuckles. 

"Well, thank you for that." I laugh at her. "But don't you think she's going to be pissed the next time she sees us?" I ask her. 

"I can buy her and her friends." She jokingly replies.

"Jesus, I know you're rich! But I never thought you were that rich." I laugh nervously. "Please don't take me out if ever I do something bad to you." I jokingly add. 

"I would never." She winked at me. “Anyway, I’m always tired, it’s like I never catch a break.” She chuckles as we both take refuge in a shade. We sat there and stayed silent for a while, it wasn’t a problem not saying anything when I’m with her. It’s as if she and I are one. It’s a good thing to have her in my life. 

“How have you been? Why does it feel like I don’t know anything about you.” I chuckle, trying to make a connection between us. 

“I also feel the same way, knucklehead. It feels like I know you but I entirely don’t.” Tzuyu adds, stealing glances at me. “We’re the youngest among the others, of all people we should be the closest.” She stared. 

“You are the closest to me. I mean, like, you're second to Nayeon unnie for sure.” I tell her honestly. 

“That’s a relief.” replies Tzuyu, she’s smiling while looking down at her shoes. 

* * *

Being inside the dormitory used to be something that’s nice and peaceful, but after everything that has happened between me and Mina, the dormitory has become a suffocating place for me. Lately, I’ve been spending more time at cafes. I only go home at nighttime to sleep. 

Sometimes I feel as if I am overreacting. Mina hasn’t really said anything, it’s as if me breaking the connection between us was a blessing for her. Honestly, I felt cheated and used. It’s ridiculous, when I’m all by myself I feel resentful towards her. But whenever my eyes meet her at the dorms, I just soften up inside. 

_I think it’s unfair. I wish I could at least be mad. But I can’t. It’s outstanding how stupid I am._

I was at a cafe in downtown Seoul, it was far away from the dorms. The further I am from my place, I feel more at peace. Going out makes me not think about her, my noisy head becomes silent for the time being and I think it’s wonderful. 

The scent of coffee filled the air, mellow songs played on the speakers and the best thing is this cafe isn’t mainstream. It’s wonderful because there aren’t many people around. I ordered a drink that’s not too serious, hot chocolate. 

_I’m not much of a coffee drinker._

It’s week four since my last conversation with Myoui Mina, things haven’t been really well for me. There are nights when I would dream about my first encounter with Minwoo but with a twist. In my dream, I would meet him but instead of shaking my hand, he would grab me and put me in a chokehold, and then everything would go dark. 

I’d wake up crying, with tears streaming down my face. I would first feel disoriented because the dream felt real and the first thing I’d do is look for Minwoo. I would look for him in the hopes of actually ending his life. 

_I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to hurt him bad._

There are nights when I’d feel not as scared and there are also nights when I’d be absolutely terrified. I wanted to hold someone and tell someone everything, but why does it feel like I am alone? Why does it feel like if I tell anyone in the dorms of what I am going through, I’d just be a burden to them? I don't want to push people away. 

_I hate that I always choose to go through things alone._

“Chaeyoung-ah.” a familiar voice calls my attention, I knew who it was. 

“You’re here.” I look at her, taken aback with her presence. 

It took me a few minutes before I was able to look at her in the eyes, it felt weird and awkward. I mean, for me at least. She sat right across me with such ease and that made me a little comfortable. 

“Yah, ttalgi. Drink your beverage or it will get cold.” She warns me, she had this look on her face which annoyed me a little. 

“Are you sure you didn’t follow me?” I asked her, she chuckled. 

“First of all, why? Of all the people I could pry and follow, why would it be you?” She replied sarcastically. 

“I hope you trip and fall, Kim Dahyun.” I moodily sip on my cup of hot chocolate. She just laughs, she isn't really serious as she sips on her drink. 

“I’ve never been to this cafe, okay? I thought it would be edgy to visit a cafe that’s not mainstream.” She smiles, I just nod. Not really saying anything. She stared for a short while but I did my best to always look away whenever our eyes meet. 

“Stop staring before I poke your damn eyes.” I tell her, I see her chuckle. 

“Son Chaeyoung, is something wrong?” She asked me, she sounds serious. I know she’s concerned and honestly, I’ve known her the longest. 

“When is there nothing wrong?” I nervously chuckle and just sip on my drink. She stares at me for a few seconds. 

“You’re so passive-aggressive. Did I ever tell you that when we were still together?” She asked. 

“No, you were all loving and soft. You were whipped.” I told her, she stared at me. 

“You’re gross.” She replies. 

“You’re gross too. We’re equally gross, Dahyun.” I tell her. 

She stared at me, I knew she wanted to tell me something. She does this all the time, the thing when she calculates my mood if ever I’d be fine if ever she wants to talk about a certain thing. 

“Sana told me you haven’t been home lately.” She finally gets straight to the point. I don’t know if I should stall and redirect our conversation or just give her the answer she wants. 

“So you and Sana are getting along fine, huh?” I choose to redirect our conversation. She sighs as if the topic is something that’s sensitive to her. “Oh sorry, did I hit a nerve or something?” I jokingly asked her. 

“I don’t know.” She hardly replies. “How about you and Mina? You guys getting along just fine?” She asks me, she sounds concerned. She doesn’t sound sarcastic which I found a little refreshing, I think?

I just stared at her, I felt my face becoming hot. I didn’t want her to see me like this so I just look down and pretend as if I’m scrolling through my phone. We both stayed quiet for a few seconds when she suddenly asked me. 

"You hate the cold, Chaeyoung-ah." She declares. I stare at her knowing that she's about to expose me. She's good at that.

"Your point?" I ask her back, refusing to give in.

"It's almost winter and Sana says you often stay out late these days. If the air is cold, that means Son Chaeyoung will stay indoors." She says this like she's talking to a child. "That means, you're staying out late on purpose." She finally cracks the code.

"Ha-ha very funny. You're a genius." I reply back. 

"Are you by any chance, avoiding someone in your dorm?" She asked me and I knew I can't keep on swerving anymore. I just stare at her, I wanted the conversation over but then I realized this is me pushing people who are trying to help me. 

“Did you hurt Mina like you hurt me?” She didn’t hesitate when she asked me this, as if it was a pleasure for her to blurt out that I love hurting people. I stare at her and just sigh. 

“I’ve learned my lesson, Kim Dahyun. I’ve vowed to never hurt anyone like that ever again.” I tell her honestly. 

“Well, I guess I’m the casualty here.” She chuckled and I couldn’t help but just roll my eyes. “So why haven’t you been at home that much? You know you’re not supposed to be going around without anyone.” She tells me this like she expected that I knew better. 

_I don’t even know what I’m doing with my life anymore._

“You know, I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done to you. I was cowardly and I didn’t have faith in whatever we had back then.” I tell her this. She just stared, she was obviously listening carefully.

“Well, that’s all in the past now.” She replies in a way that made me feel like she’s truly happy with where she is at right now. Again, we became silent for a short while. My thoughts and worries bubbling inside me. I stared at her and I knew, I just knew that even though she’s nosy, I can trust her. 

“I think I’m paying for all the things I’ve done to you.” I blurt out, putting all my trust in her. 

“What?” She was worried, I can tell by the sound of her voice and the look on her face. “Son Chaeyoung, what is wrong?” She asked me. 

“Dahyun-ah, I think I’m receiving my bad karma already.” my voice broke when I said this, I didný even notice that tears were already falling from my eyes. 

All the emotions that I’ve been bottling these past few weeks have finally spilled and I am glad that it’s Dahyun who I am with right now. These gods above are funny because out of all the people I could confide in, they chose Dahyun to be that person. Why Dahyun? I don't know. It just happened that way, I guess. The gods above are funny like that.

“Tell me everything.” She reaches for my hand and gave it an assuring squeeze. That was all I needed for me to tell her everything that had happened between me and Mina, of course, I had to omit some things. It felt nice that I finally got to tell someone what I am going through, it felt refreshing and liberating. 

* * *

**THIRD PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW**

That night, Son Chaeyoung decided to come home early. Maybe it was the conversation that she had with Kim Dahyun that had made her finally realize that she shouldn’t act all reckless at a time like this. Even though Kim Dahyun seems cocky, she’s very sensible too. Chaeyoung was thankful that Dahyun lives close by, she felt like drowning, and to her, Kim Dahyun is her floater at a time like this.

When she stepped into the living room, she was greeted by her roommates eating together in the living room. Son Chaeyoung froze, shocked because of the unexpected stares. She felt naked, why were these people staring at her?

“It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages.” Huffs Nayeon, a little disappointed that Son Chaeyoung has been going home late. 

“What the hell are you doing? Don’t just stand there, come here and eat dinner with us.” Says Tzuyu as she grabs a plate and gestures for Chaeyoung to sit next to her. Chaeyoung immediately sat beside Tzuyu, wanting to avoid contact with Mina. 

“Are you avoiding us?” asks Nayeon jokingly, which not surprisingly makes Chaeyoung uncomfortable. Everyone stares at Chaeyoung, waiting for her to answer. 

“Do you want some tangsuyuk?” Asks Tzuyu, trying to redirect the conversation. 

“Please.” Smiles Chaeyoung, she was uncomfortable but she tried her best to not seem like she’s affected. 

“Anyway, that was a joke. Jeez, none of you guys can take a joke.” Nayeon complains as she takes another bite from her own plate of food. “But I was serious when I said that it felt like I haven’t seen you in ages.” She clarifies. 

“It’s because I’ve been busy unnie, I have tons of things to finish.” Son Chaeyoung chuckled, of course, she was lying. Exams were over, sure maybe she had readings to finish but those readings are not difficult. 

“Exams over?” Asks Sana, she’s been eyeing Chaeyoung since she came home. 

“Yeah, which is a relief.” Smiles Chaeyoung as she received the plate from Tzuyu. The room grew silent for a few seconds, it wasn’t that awkward since the television provided some background noise. That relieved everyone, no one really had to say anything. All eyes were glued on the television, it was a lazy dinner for sure. There weren’t much the girls could talk about anyway. 

The presence of Son Chaeyoung made everyone inside the room smile, they haven’t seen her as much for weeks. Well, except for Chou Tzuyu since they go to the same school. 

Mina couldn’t explain the relief that rushed through her body the moment she saw Son Chaeyoung walk inside the dorm. She’s been worried about the girl, she knows she doesn’t have the right to say that she’s concerned but she couldn’t help it. She felt as if she was partly responsible for why Son Chaeyoung has been avoiding everyone. Before the confrontation, her heart was constantly at peace. But ever since it happened, the night of Momo’s birthday, she couldn't help but tear up whenever the conversation would play inside her head. She knows she doesn’t have the right to be sad, all of this was her fault. She did this, so she has to endure all of this. 

_But it was difficult, trying to ignore the younger girl._

Mina after the confrontation would always end up awake at night, unable to fall asleep. It’s the thought that Son Chaeyoung always goes home late at night that unnerves her, she was concerned. So to make herself feel at peace, she made it a habit to stay in the living room and peek at the windows to see if Chaeyoung is almost home. Whenever she does see the younger girl enter the gate, she calms down. She then would hurriedly tip-toe back to her room. She now knows Chaeyoung has arrived safely and this makes her fall asleep faster. 

“How have you been?” The words seemed restrained, but it happened. Mina asked Chaeyoung the question. The other girls are obviously not aware of the tension between the two, that’s why none of them really cared. 

Chaeyoung stared, not sure if what she heard is right. Then, later on, realized that she did hear right. “Oh. I’ve been well, unnie. ”

_Unnie._

Mina hates it. She hates that Chaeyoung addresses her like that, she feels awful. 

“That’s good.” Replies Mina almost inaudibly, munching on her food like she didn’t even start the conversation in the first place. She thinks pretending like so would benefit her. 

“So, Sana-ssi.” Starts Nayeon, she thought this would be the best time for them to tackle Sana's problems since they’re all complete. “What are your plans?” Asks the older girl. 

“I’m just taking things slowly as of now. I’m honestly still confused as to what to do next.” She seemed a little shy when she said this. 

“Well, I’d like you to know that we’re right behind you no matter what happens.” Mina Smiles. 

“Thank you.” She replied a little too awkwardly. 

“Unnie, if you’re really in need of jobs I can give you recommendations. You know, for the meantime as you wait for the next thing you want to do.” Says Tzuyu. Everyone nodded, they all listened.

Sana stared at her, she didn’t really want to get too emotional. So she just looked down and sighed. Everyone became quiet after that, no one really had something to contribute to the conversation. That’s when suddenly Mina’s phone rang. She immediately picked it up, it was unusual for her to receive a call from her parents at this time of the day. But whatever the reason was, she picked it up and answered. 

At first, she greeted her mom, it was in Japanese. The girls had basic knowledge about the Japanese language, they could understand basic hi and hello. Mina’s face lit up when she first heard her mother’s voice but her mood suddenly shifted not more than five seconds later. Everyone in the room couldn’t understand what she was saying but she sounded distressed, of course, Sana was the only one who understood. 

“Sana, what’s going on?” Asks Nayeon, Sana just stared and shook her head. She probably does not want to get ahead of Mina. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung just stared as it became apparent that the call wasn’t made in order to give Mina a piece of good news. 

Mina turns her phone off. 

She had this blank look on her face as if she couldn’t believe what she just heard. Sana instantly sat beside the girl and started to comfort her and that’s when Mina started crying. This time she sounded really pained but the other girls didn’t understand what was happening. Sobbing, that was all that we heard. Sana was hugging Mina, soothing the girl. 

"What's wrong?" Asks Tzuyu, she sounded really concerned but Sana just shook her head. 

"Please, Mitang. Answer us." Nayeon was practically begging, the sight of Mina shedding tears like that was unusual for her. 

"What's wrong?" Asks Caheyoung, putting their differences aside.

* * *

“My brother was involved in a terrible accident.” Says Mina when she has finally collected herself, but still she sounded pained and distressed. “He’s undergone surgery and hasn’t woken up yet.” She adds before anyone could ask anything. 

It was as if they were in a movie where tragic things just kept happening to them, it was awful. No one in the house could ever catch a break. 

* * *

**SON CHAEYOUNG’S POINT OF VIEW**

I couldn’t get the image of Mina crying out of my head when I headed to my room. All night long I kept twisting and turning, I kept questioning myself whether I should go to her room and comfort her. But it felt off, I knew Sana would be there. I also don’t think I could provide much comfort so I thought it was best to just leave her be. 

But that was the thing, the fact that I kept battling with my decision left me restless last night. I don’t know, I probably even had some lucid dream about her but I just can’t remember it. Maybe that’s the reason why when my phone rang so early in the morning, I picked it up immediately. I sprang up and answered. 

“Hello?” I answered. I wasn’t really sure who I was talking too because I didn’t look at the caller ID.

“Chaeyoung-ah. I’m sorry for waking you up.” It was Sana unnie, I could tell from her voice that it was her. She sounded really concerned. 

“Wait, what time is it?” I groggily asked and stared at my wristwatch. “Jesus, it’s only five in the morning. Also, why are you calling me?” I ask her. I had lots of questions inside my head. 

“Chaeyoung-ah, please listen to me carefully.” She sounded serious which made my ears perk up. “I need you to take a bath and get dressed.” She carefully instructs me. 

“Is this a prank?” I was a little awake now, I hope she’s just fucking with me. 

“And then go to Incheon International airport.” She abruptly adds, completely ignoring what I just asked. My eyes widened and I felt off. 

“What the hell is going on?” I ask her. 

“Just please do what I say and hurry. I need you to be here before seven o’clock.” She instructs. 

“This better be worth it.” I mumble under my breath.

“And oh, Chaeyoung-ah.” She calls my attention once more. 

“Yeah?” I reply. 

“Please don’t forget to bring your passport.” She reminds me one more time before hanging up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? What do you think is happening?
> 
> Also, I just got returned to Stan twitter. For anyone who wants to interact with me, you can tweet me @onlylookatcub. You can shout at me there lol


	28. First snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want say that I started thinking of this story almost a year ago. I started drafting and writing in August 2019. By the end of the year, I was already writing Chapter 16 and I clearly remember writing that Chapter at one of the older Starbucks in my City. I am writing this because I want to make it clear that in any way Jung Minwoo is a fictional character and he wasn't inspired out of somebody in real life. None of the things that I am writing are based on something real and I do not want to associate the character of Jung Minwoo with somebody. 
> 
> That is all. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy the update.

**SON CHAEYOUNG'S POINT OF VIEW**

It all happened so fast, it felt like I was in a dream. First I was just sleeping, well, I have been having a difficult time sleeping so that's another thing. Well, I woke up, received a call from Sana unnie, and just like that I am now in Japan. It felt like I was in a dream-like state, everything happened so fast. Everything should have clicked when she said I needed to bring my passport. I don't know why nothing seemed to have clicked inside my head that time, maybe I did understand it and subconsciously I also wanted what was happening. Maybe I secretly wanted to join Mina. 

_Honestly, I don't know anymore._

The flight was fast, the travel from Seoul to Tokyo lasted less than two hours. When we landed we were greeted by their family car and we immediately proceeded to Tokyo's largest Hospital which is St. Luke's. Since I wasn't a family member I opted to stay in the waiting room, I was there for hours on end but since I was shameless I just slept it off and hours later I was awoken by a slight movement. It was Mina, she sat next to me.

"Oh, it's you." I muttered, my voice was still a little groggy from my sleep. I sat straight up and stared at her, she seemed to have calmed down. I mean, she was eerily calm when we got here.

"It's almost night time." She replies, she didn't sound worried or stressed out. What she said made me look at my wrist-watch. It was quarter to six in the evening. I just stared at my watch for the longest time, I couldn't believe I slept for that long. 

"Oh wow." I huffed, a little taken aback with much I wasted my time here in Japan. "How's Kai?" I immediately asked her, I almost forgot about him. She nodded at me and I see a weak glint in her eyes, I don't know whether that meant good news. But she seems well and not scared. 

"He's awake now. He must've missed his younger sister cause the moment we arrived here, that was when he regained his consciousness." She smiles, her eyes look like they were teary. Her eyes looked happy but weak.

_Wait, Kai regained consciousness the moment we arrived here? Doesn't that mean he's been awake for hours now?_

"I'm sorry, but why didn't you wake me up?" I asked her, I felt embarrassed about sleeping through everything. She smiled at me, this made my heart warm. Seeing her smile made me happy and it scared me. 

"Well, they still had to run some tests on him and I wanted to stay here. When I came to check on you, you were asleep. I felt sorry for disturbing you and bringing you all the way here that's why I just let you sleep." She replies, she sounded nice and calm. I couldn't help but just stare at her. 

"I'm happy that Kai is doing all better now." I tell her and I smiled. 

"I'm happy too." She looked down. 

I couldn't say much really. I wasn't really good with comforting people, I suck at that. So instead of saying something, I just scooted closer to her. After that, we didn't really talk. We just sat next to each other all quiet. But even though words weren't said, I made sure that my intentions were felt, and that is to be by her side during these trying times. 

* * *

That night I was once again picked up by their family car and was immediately sent to a Hotel. Apparently, Mina's father has booked a room for me. I actually wanted to ask her where I was supposed to stay for the night. I'm glad such thing was taken care of. Mina told me that she's got my back while I'm in Japan. I'm thankful to her for that because I don't think I'd be able to converse in Nihongo at all. 

Mina and I didn't really see each other after I was transported to the Hotel. According to Mina, her parents also are staying in the same hotel as well. I don't know, she's probably also in the same building as I am. But that's not the point, the point is I have a place to stay and that's enough. I'm thankful for that, at least. I don't really have plans right now. I'll probably head home tomorrow or the next day. I don't know.

I don't have the heart to ask Mina such things yet, I'll probably wait what she's going to do next. 

* * *

I don't what time it was but I was awoken by the jiggling of the doorknob in my hotel room. I was a little mystified as to why such a thing was happening to a five-star Hotel in Tokyo. My stupid ass shouted something in Korean at whatever was outside my door. 

_I can't speak Japanese very well, sorry Japanese entity outside my door._

I was so close to actually calling the reception desk and asking for help when suddenly the door spewed out Myoui Mina. I just stared and placed the phone where it's supposed to be. She looked confused too. I almost wanted to throw a pillow at her.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" She asked, she looked a little taken aback and she realized how stupid that question was. 

"What does it look like?" I reply, a little too sarcastically, even though the lights were dim I see her make a face. "I thought you were staying with your parents?" I asked her, she stared at me.

"I can't stay in the same room as them." She says this like it made sense. "Anyway, I'll stay here if I want to. I can't sleep in the lobby, can I? That won't make sense." She adds as she sat on the edge of the bed, she then started taking her shoes and socks off. I just stared at her, I wish she wasn't serious. 

"What are you looking at?" She asked. She sounded harsh, it seemed out of character.

"You." I replied immediately. "Who else am I supposed to stare at? I can't see dead people, can I?" I snort as I get out of bed and walk over to the couch. There, I made myself comfortable. I wasn't going to sleep next to her. It felt awkward. She gave me this look and then she just sighed. 

"Anyway, you can borrow my clothes. Sorry for dragging you all the way here." She seemed bitter when she said this, this made me almost angry. Why does she have to say it that way? She can be nicer, honestly.

"I went here not because of you. It's because Sana unnie asked me to do this as a favor for her." I lie almost too perfectly, I almost believed myself. She just nodded her head and dozed off, not changing to comfortable clothes. I mean, who am I to judge her when I myself haven't changed clothes yet? I'll just have to borrow some of her clothes tomorrow. 

"Okay, thank you for granting Sana's wish." She replies dryly. 

"Okay." I replied even more dryly. 

"Good night then." To me, it seems like she's trying to prolong the conversation. 

"Nights." I reply as I turn my back against hers and just pretend like I didn't care at all.

* * *

The next day came, although Kai was feeling a lot better, he's still supposed to undergo lots and lots of tests in order to make sure that he's on his road to a full recovery. As promised, Mina lent me some of her clothes and of course, fresh undergarments. It felt awkward at first but I knew beggars can't be choosers, right? I'm the beggar as of the moment. 

Again, I spent half a day in the waiting room. I don't really know what's going on in there and I don't really think I should stick my nose where it doesn't belong. I've been in Japan for two days and all I've done is be in the hospital and be in the Hotel. I also haven't seen Mina's parents, it sure makes me wonder what they look like. I haven't seen photos of them.

* * *

Even though there has been a rift between Mina and I, I can't afford to act like I completely don't care about her. Things happen and people might end up hurting us, but that doesn't mean that we should actively choose to become deliberately mean to them. I believe that we all should choose to be kind to people, no matter what they've done to us. 

"Hey, I think you need this." I whisper, handing her the coffee from the vending machine around the corner. Mina has just joined me in the waiting room, she looked tired and it seemed like she was about to fall sick. She gave me a look for a few seconds and then accepted the coffee. 

"Thank you." She replies softly, she then took small sips from the cup. I just stared at her and realized how beaten she looks. 

"Is everything okay?" I ask her, it seemed like that was an insensitive question. But the words already came out of my mouth so I can't really do much. 

"Everything is fine, actually." She takes her gaze off of the television which I couldn't understand a word. "I already conversed with Kai, I was allowed inside awhile ago. Tears streamed down his face when he saw me." her emotions became more apparent the more she talked and I understood her. I also have a brother and I would be devastated if he'd go through the same thing. I don't think I'd be able to react as calmly as Mina. 

"He missed you, that's why." I tell her, she stared at me for quite some time. I didn't understand what her gaze meant or maybe I was too shallow to comprehend such a thing. 

"You've been kind, you know." She starts off, the statement somehow made me feel soft inside. "And I want you to know that I am thankful for that. You've showed me nothing but kindness and here I am being the biggest asshole to you." She chuckles.

"Mina." I try to stop her because this isn't really the time to have this conversation right now. 

"I honestly wish you all the best in life." She smiled, but her eyes seemed sad. I couldn't really say anything so I just huffed. "You deserve so much more than what you have. I can't fathom the thought of you being hurt like you meant nothing." She adds.

Maybe it was the way she said it, or the fact that we both know she's talking about herself, I don't really know. But the image of her talking to me genuinely made me tear up a little. I couldn't stop it, it felt as if she was stirring my insides with her words. I looked down, I was too afraid to show her that I am indeed affected because of her words. I can't bear to show her my eyes. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." I reply. 

I know I could've done the exact opposite and have just faced the issue between us head-on. But I felt awful trying to ride her emotions as of the moment. I know she's a lot more vulnerable right now and I know she isn't in the right head-space to talk about what happened to us. I don't want to be an asshole and take advantage of the situation. If there are indeed things that we need to discuss, I don't think the right time is now. 

"It's been a long day, do you want to go back to the Hotel and rest?" I ask her, that seemed like the best question to ask. I knew she was tired. She stared at me and just nodded. Shortly after that I accompanied her to our Hotel room and let her sleep like a log on the bed. I just sat at the couch which overlooked the beautiful City of Tokyo. I couldn't believe what I got myself into again.

* * *

Mina slept until it was nighttime. Our sleeping schedules have been fucked since we landed in Japan, not because of the time difference because Korea and Japan are very close. It's probably the stress, honestly. The whole time she slept I kept myself preoccupied. I listened to some music, I watched some television, and I even streamed Netflix. 

"Do you want to eat?" were the first words that came out of her mouth when our eyes met. She sounded groggy, her hair was a mess, and she looked far from perfect. I was looking at Mina without any filter. 

"Yeah, I think I'd want to do that." I answered immediately.

* * *

"I didn't mean go out when I said I wanted to eat." I begrudgingly say while we were waiting for our order to arrive. Mina stared at me, I've never seen her stare at me like that. It was almost like she was annoyed, it was amusing. She's always just been patient, proper, and nice. It's nice to see this side of her.

"I wanted to take you out. Is that a crime? It's the least I could do to repay you for coming with me here." She sounded annoyed, this made me smile a little. I mean, it sounds sick that I'm enjoying this but it's actually sort of cool seeing her lose her chill. 

"So are you annoyed at me right now?" I chuckle, wanting to annoy her more. She gave me this look of disappointment but I just shake my head. So this is what she is when she's not in a good mood. That's new.

"No, I wish we could just enjoy this." She huffed. 

If I were to be honest, I don't understand why she wants to go out and eat. We could've just ordered room service. But no, we had to get dressed and do it her way. And yes, I had to borrow some of her stuff again. It's embarrassing how unprepared I am for this whole thing. Who the hell travels to an entirely different country without extra clothes? Me. I'm that idiot. 

"Can we please return to the hotel after eating? It's getting cold. I hate the cold." I plead, wishing she'd just hear me out. She stared at me for a bit and then nodded.

* * *

It didn't take long for our orders to arrive. The real reason why I am opposed to eating outside is that I'd be forced to interact with her. If we were only in our rooms I'd have the excuse to not really talk that much. I could just watch television and eat. Also, I don't know how to talk to her anymore. Mina hasn't changed, okay? But I've changed. I have this constant fear that if I let myself feel comfortable around her, I'd just get my heart broken again. 

* * *

"Why'd you agree to accompany me to Japan?" She asked this out of the blue. It was such a random question. I stared at her, I wasn't really sure how to handle the whole situation. 

"What?" that is all that my dumbass could say. 

"I mean, none of your actions made sense." She replies. 

We were already back at the hotel, we didn't really stay long at the restaurant. We ate and left, that's all. It had just turned nine in the evening, the night was still young. The television helped not making the room too quiet, I loved it. 

"Look who's talking." I sarcastically replied as I stared at the view below me. It was the beautiful City of Tokyo, I was once again seated on the sofa while Mina was seated on the bed. I didn't want to look at her. 

"Jesus, Son Chaeyoung. Stop being so damn argumentative." She replies. 

"I'm not! God." I complain, huffing in the process. "Stop assuming all the time." I add, which honestly felt like a mistake. I've heard that Myoui Mina hates losing. Now, I've assumed that this meant she hates losing in her games, right? But this night, I've proven myself wrong. 

"It's a simple question, just answer it." She repeats again. "Why? You don't know the language, you don't know how long you'd be staying here, and you've basically got no extra clothes with you. None of your actions made sense. So why?" She asked me, her voice sounded distressed. 

I stared at her and then everything came back to me. Sana unnie was the one who welcomed me when I arrived at the airport. It was foggy maybe because I was tired but I knew that time I wanted reasons as to why she wants me to take her place. 

* * *

"Why? Why me? Why?" I repeated on and on the moment I saw Sana unnie. "I'm not the only person in the dorms. Why the hell am I always dragged into situations like this?!" I sounded so mean that I instantly regret saying the things that came out of my mouth.

"Chaeyoung-ah, calm down. Please." She begged, wanting me to quiet down. 

"I don't want to get involved." I told her. "I've had enough of this, I just want to be able to have a quiet time by myself, is that such a difficult thing?" I ask. 

"But Mina said she needs you." 

Sana unnie's words rang inside my head. Even during the flight, my head felt like it was a gong. It felt like it was constantly being hit by Sana unnie's words. _Mina needs you. Mina needs you. Mina needs you. Mina needs you._

* * *

"Why'd you take Sana's place?" Mina asked again. This brought me back to reality. No more flashbacks. 

There are so many ways that I can answer her question. But as much as possible I don't want to reignite whatever we had. I needed to answer her as plainly as possible. 

"It's because I wanted to do Sana unnie a favor. I owed her a lot. That's all." I lie through my teeth. At first she seemed dissatisfied with my answer, but I wasn't giving her more than that. I don't know what she's trying to do but my concern as of the moment is my well being. She seemed discouraged, it was as if a fire inside her was extinguished. 

"I wish we could talk more." This suddenly came out of her mouth. The moment I agreed to accompany her here, I was afraid that she might do this. 

"What for? We don't really have anything to talk about." I reply but I honestly want her to push more. 

_Please push more._

This time I was already staring at her, waiting for her to say something more. But all of a sudden, my phone buzzed. It was Jihyo unnie, she said that she'll video call me right now. This caught me off guard because she's usually not like this. 

"What?" Mina asked, she was obviously curious. 

"Jihyo unnie wants to videocall." I reply, this made MIna stand up and sit right next to me, that was when I see Jihyo unnie's request. I approved it and was greeted by not only Jihyo unnie but by the others too. 

"What's going on? Why are you guys all together? Did something happen?" Asks Mina. 

"Turn your televison to the News Channel." Says Dahyun seriously. 

"Stupid. They're in Japan." Whispers Momo which made me laugh.

"MinWoo is all over Naver." Says Jeongyeon unnie, I don't know how to describe how she said it. But when those words came out of her mouth, I almost fell out of my seat. Mina who was right beside me hurriedly opened her phone and scrolled through Naver. I was just there, holding onto my phone. I can see Nayeon unnie in shock and in disbelief. She just seemed out of it. 

* * *

Jung Minwoo, the heir of their Company has been found inside the basement of another college student from Seoul National University. The girl was lucky enough to have not been hurt. Reading everything in Naver somehow wore me out, it was as if I was drained. It was difficult to process everything. So many questions flooded my head. Honestly, it was amazing how the media didn't even try to hide his identity. Photos of him in handcuffs and with a mask on is all over Naver. 

The news made me sick to my stomach, I felt like I wanted to throw up. But I needed to be strong, I can't react harshly especially that I'm with Mina, I know this sounds dumb but I need to be strong for her. 

I hated Minwoo, I hated him with all my guts. I have always been honest about wanting to hurt him, I have never lied about that. But now I've found out that he's been hiding under that girl's basement made me realize how dangerous and crazy he is for dragging the issue about assaulting Sana to such great length. He's evading police by living in some girl's empty basement. How many days has he been hiding in there? I'm mad and I feel this deep rage inside of me, how could he intertwine and play with women's lives as if their lives are a joke? 

"Do you think he'll ever go to trial for all the bullshit he did?" I ask Mina. She gave me this look and she just shrugged. 

"I honestly don't know. The Korean Justice system is corrupt. I mean, all justice systems are corrupt. Given the fact that he is an heir to a big company in Korea, I'd have to say I don't know. But if there is enough evidence then maybe." She replies. We just sat on the couch, the view was great. We were just drinking tea that we ordered from room service since we're experiencing such cold weather.

"Do you think he'll ever pay for what he did?" I ask her. 

"He should pay for what he did." She replies sternly. Then the room fell very silent, it was already one in the morning and I have no idea why I'm still not asleep. Our flight is supposed to be tomorrow, I sure hope I'd be able to wake up early. I can't miss the flight. 

"Chaeng-ah."She calls my attention, I look at her and I see her pouring me another cup of tea. "Here you go." She hands me the cup.

"Thanks." I nod my head at her and receive the cup. All this time, I was just stealing glances of her. 

"I want you to know that I'm beyond sorry for what has happened between us." She suddenly broke the silence by saying this. I didn't flinch, I just kept staring at the city below me. I didn't say anything, I just kept quiet. I wanted to let her stew, I wanted to see what she's going to say next. 

"I just think that the act of you accompanying me here in Japan meant something more." She adds, she sounded careful when she said this. 

"I think it would be best if you don't assume things." I tell her, I want to make things clear between us. 

"Assume what? That you care? How the hell am I not supposed to assume that when you voluntarily come with me here? Tell me. How?" This was the first time she's ever yelled at me. During our trip, she's been moodier and I understand why. 

"Look, I understand why you're behaving like this. You're going through stuff and I get it." For the first time today, I look at her during our conversation. She's red, she looked annoyed and I couldn't tell if she was about to cry. 

"I've already told you I've got no more problems with Kai. Why do you keep swerving?" She asked me, her voice bounced inside our room. I just stared at her, I wasn't sure how to answer her question. "Do you care about whatever we had at all?" She asked me. 

"What?" I chuckled. "No, let me ask you. Did you even care for what we had?" I asked her the question back. 

"Yes." She answered. 

"Well, everyone cares at first!" I replied, I wanted to end our conversation. I hate the fact that I am in Japan and that I am forced to be with her in one room. It's so difficult to ignore her. 

"I never stopped caring about you." She replied without skipping a beat. 

I turned my gaze to her, unsure of how to respond with what she just said. _I never stopped caring about you._ What a convenient thing to say. She's such a poet, she knows how to talk. 

"Please stop toying with me." I chuckle, but of course, I wasn't happy with whatever she was saying. 

"Whatever I did must've affected you so much. I might have really messed you up." She says this as if it's only a recent realization. 

_Pain would change anyone._

"There was really nothing between us after all." I tell her the exact opposite of what I wanted to say. She stared at me for a short time, her piercing gaze, it was back. Then she stood up and packed her things, I could only watch as this happened. 

"What are you doing?" I ask her.

"I'm staying at my parent's room. I don't think I can sleep here tonight." She replies as she finished packing her things. She then closed her luggage while I just stared, wanting to take everything I said back. "Come on, please don't do this." I suddenly found myself begging for her to stay. She didn't listen though because I see her walking towards the door with her things. 

"Mina, let's be mature about this." What I actually wanted to say was ' _Please don't leave me.'_

I didn't realise the impact of my words when she suddenly turned to me, her eyes were all red. She was crying, her lips trembling.

"I'm sorry for making you feel like there wasn't anything between us. I admit that I also had my lapses, but I am damn sure that I never used you to realize my feelings for Nayeon." She says this with such conviction that I feel as if I was being torn inside, my hands and feet were cold and I'm pretty sure my eyes are about to give up too.

"Please, stop." I ask her nicely, I didn't want to hear whatever she wanted to say. I was afraid that I might want her back if I do. 

"Yes, I liked Nayeon. I don't deny that." She adds.

"Please, Mina. I can't listen to you anymore." I tell her, I knew I was selfish for not listening and making her shut up. I knew I have to listen to her at some point, but I guess I'm too afraid. But I wanted to listen, I really do. I just think everything is such a mess right now. 

"But the moment you came into my life, I forgot about her. You became the person I wanted to be with and it hurts me so much that you won't even listen to me just once. What I've shown you were genuine. All of it. I made nothing of it up even my feeling for you. I like you until now and I can't get you out of my head. I care for you and I hope to God that you'd stop being stubborn and start listening." More tears fall from her eyes, she's staring at me probably waiting for my response. 

"I don't know what to tell you." My voice trembled, I felt weak and all I wanted to do was hold her but my body isn't allowing me. I missed her and it took one flight to Japan for me to realize this.

"Will you please consider coming back to me?" She stared at me, her eyes conveyed that she's hurt.

"I don't know if I'll ever think of that." It feels awful saying this, but it's true. I miss her but that doesn't mean I want to be back with her right now. 

"Consider it for me, will you? That's my wish." She smiled at me weakly, her eyes hurt, and her voice trembling. I just stared at her, I didn't know what to say, and before I could I say anything, she just left. Just like that, she left me alone. 

At first, I didn't understand why she was wishing such thing until I turned around and got a view of the window. It was snowing. My first snow for this year is in Japan and that's why she was wishing. First snows carry this bearing in my country. She wanted to start anew with me but I didn't know if I feel the same way. I just stared at downtown Tokyo starting to be covered by tiny drops of snow and I wished she never left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, did you enjoy that? I hope you did, please comment down what you think! 
> 
> I try my best to involve all ships in this fanfiction because I think all ships are valid and all ships deserve love and attention! 
> 
> Also, congratulations to us, onces! We won all categories in CHOEAEDOL tonight. You guys did so well and I hope you guys would spare a little amount of your time to vote for our girls. BUT, never ever guilt trip your co-onces who cannot participate in voting, okay? Let's be nice to each other and have a great time. 
> 
> Thank you!


	29. Christmas Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**SON CHAEYOUNG'S POINT OF VIEW**

The flight back to Korea was a blur. Well, I do remember Mrs. Myoui accompanying us to the airport. We didn't really get to exchange words because of the language barrier but before I left, she gave me the biggest hug and thanked me in English. To be honest, it felt nice that I got to see her before leaving. Mina resembled her so much, that part was pleasant. Anyway, after that, I didn't really remember much because everything was just blurry. Whether the blur was caused by the headache I had or because I didn't really care anymore, I don't know. Maybe both, I don't really know. I didn't care either, by that point I just wanted to go home and rest. I had things to do too, I needed to do some school work. I needed to get work done and honestly, staying in Japan for three days kind of prevented me from doing any work. 

We were seated together during the flight and of course, we sat in silence during the whole ordeal. To describe it as hell is an understatement. My head was the throbbing, it was because I hadn't had a chance to sleep properly the night before. I mean, what kind of person would be able to sleep after that confrontation? No, not me. I also noticed how Mina is wearing sunglasses. Does she think she's an idol? 

After that trip, we ignored each other again. We went back to our normal routine. I went to school, mingled with classmates, I did my homework, I did all my readings, I attended the meeting for the school event, and I took exams. I was lucky enough that I have Tzuyu. Things have become so much easier because she was around. This routine went on for weeks until classes were over for Christmas break. 

It would have been better if I had decided to go home right after classes were over. However, the older girls encouraged us to stay until Christmas. They all wanted us to spend our time together, and of course, we all wanted to celebrate because Minwoo has been incarcerated. I thought the idea was nice so I decided to stay. Plus, I don't have much to do when I'm at home. I know I'd end up being bored because I'd always be with my family. Why not spend Christmas with my unnies, right? I'll just spend my New Years at home, I guess. 

But of course, being in the dorms during the holidays also meant I have a lot of time for myself. On most days I would stay in my room and just mope around. There would be times when people would come and invite me to go outside which was nice. But most of the time, I was alone with my thoughts. Because of this, I'm starting to doubt my decision about Mina. I don't know, but that night at the Hotel keeps on playing inside my head.

_Did I do the right thing?_

"Of course I did." I mumble to myself, feeling pathetic that I've reduced myself to this. I just lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling has become a daily routine now. It even feels like the ceiling has become my best friend. 

_But she did tell you that what she felt was genuine._

"Am I being dumb or am I just full of pride?" I ask myself. I just stare at the wall, it's empty, just like me. I feel empty inside. I know it sounds pitiful to say such a thing. It sounds almost selfish and I sound ungrateful of my privilege. I stare at the ceiling for God knows how long when I suddenly hear a knock on my door. I turn my gaze towards my door and see Nayeon unnie. She's standing by the door frame and she had this hopeful look on her face. 

"Yeah?" I ask her. 

"Do you have time today?" She asked me. I sat straight up and nod my head. 

"Of course, I do. It's Christmas break, unnie. I have all the time in the world." I say this begrudgingly. She had this smile on her face, she looked beautiful as usual. 

"Want to come with me?" She asked me. She hadn't told me where yet but I nod my head happily. 

* * *

Do I think I was dumb enough to agree to something that I wasn't fully aware of? Well, yeah. Maybe. At this point, I don't really know what I'm doing with my life. But anyway, I thought Nayeon unnie and I were going shopping or we were going to hang out at a cafe. But I was mistaken. Nayeon unnie had an entirely different plan for our afternoon. 

"Please say sike." It sounded almost like I was begging her. Well, I'm almost there anyway. She had this look on her face which I couldn't read. 

"Sike." She said this so unenthusiastically. I frowned and stared at her. 

"Oh, god. How I wish this is a nightmare." I huff. 

We were currently outside of Seodaemun Prison. I just stare at my surroundings, I needed visual cues that would tell me that what I am currently seeing is real. I huff out, stressed about the whole situation. Everything that's happening right now is more than unreal to me. I couldn't believe it. 

"I mean, like, this place looks like it's made out of nightmares so that's that." She mumbles as she looks around the place. 

"I can't believe you actually dragged me out here." I tell her, I wanted to be annoyed but I know she had a good reason why I'm the one she's dragging out here. I stare at her and noticed how quiet she's gotten. We were outside of the gate, just standing, looking like complete idiots. "Oh god, I hate you so much right now." I tell her, I made sure I seemed shameless when I said this. I see her smile for a short while. 

"Oh, come on. This is going to be fun." She smirked at me as the gates opened and that's when I see a police officer slowly approach us. I was scared at first but then I calmed down when I notice that Nayeon unnie seemed unfazed. 

"Are you Miss Im?" He asked, he seemed a little stiff. 

"Yes and she's a friend of mine, she'll be accompanying me inside." Says Nayeon unnie as she shows the officer her identification card. It's probably for security purposes. The police officer gave me this brief glance and then he nodded. 

"Oh, god. Please say sike. Please say sike." Whisper, just enough so that Nayeon unnie would hear me. I guess it worked because she briefly glanced at me and smirked. 

"It's going to be okay. Trust me." She softly assures me as we both were guided by the officer inside the famous Seodaemun Prison. 

* * *

When we got inside, we had to go through a very tedious inspection. We needed to hand every sharp object we had on us and we also had to surrender our phone to the officers. They told us that we would get our stuff back later after the visit. Of course, we complied. I wanted to comply because I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. The place gave me the creeps, it was old, people have died in there, and it was full high-profile cases. This meant the people inside this penitentiary are extra crazy. I personally think I'm experiencing too much craziness in my life so going here isn't necessary for me.

"You did this for what?" I ask her, we were both in this big room. The room was split in half by a wall installed in order to separate the inmates from the visitors. Attached to this wall are booths with phones that would let the visitors and inmates converse. There already were visitors aside from us. I could hear them talk but it's impossible to know to understand them without context. 

"I need this." She replied without skipping a beat. I knew she was serious, so I just nod. The fact that Jung Minwoo is already in prison is still something that I cannot grasp. To me, it's still something I can't believe. The idea is still very much unreal to me even though it's almost already three weeks since he was caught. "Besides, when I asked you out, going here wasn't really in my head." She adds. 

Maybe it was because I was tired and I really didn't want to reason with her, so I just nod. "You owe me coffee and dinner." I tell her blatantly. She smiled at me, she knew I'd give in easily. 

"You're the best." She smiled at me but suddenly her smile withered. I knew something was up so I immediately turned my direction to where she was looking at and that was when I see Jung Minwoo. I know it has only been three weeks since he was captured hiding at that girl's basement but he looked totally different. He looked emaciated, bruises covered his arms and I see that some parts of his face was discolored. When he entered, he had this blank look on his face but the moment that he saw who was visiting, his facial expression suggested he was pleased. 

"Are you sure about this? I think this will enable him." I tell Nayeon unnie what I've been thinking this whole time. 

"Yes." She had this blank look on her face. I couldn't really do anything so I just nod at her. I knew I wasn't speaking to that bastard anyway. 

"Miss Im Nayeon? Your seat's ready." The guard calls her attention.

* * *

**IM NAYEON'S POINT OF VIEW**

It was crazy how much tension I felt inside when the officer told me that my seat was ready. There he was, staring at me intently. I knew the wall was going to protect me against him. That was the only reason why I have the courage to face him today. 

"Stay here, okay?" I tell Chaeyoung nicely. I felt bad for dragging her here, but I had to. No one else would accompany me, not even my girlfriend. If she knew what I've been up to, I'd be in so much trouble. Obviously, I don't want that. I dragged Chaeyoung here cause she's free and she isn't as judgy as the others. 

Walking towards the booth felt like I was walking on air. That doesn't mean I was happy, it was more of me being tense and scared about the whole situation. He was there, staring at me intently. He was watching my every move. Honestly, I just want to shoot him in the head. 

I sat down and grabbed the phone which allowed me to hear whatever he was going to say. I stared at him while my free and clutched on my purse. "You came to see me, Nayeon-ah." he sounded happy almost when he said this. 

"Yes." I reply immediately. "But don't get the wrong idea. " I tell him immediately. Minwoo stared at me for a while, he was only clutching to the phone. It was as if he was calculating what he was supposed to say. 

"So, have you been eating well?" He asked me, he was smiling when he said this. I wanted to curse him out but I knew doing so wouldn't do me any good. 

"Now that you're locked up? Yes. I am very much happy." I tell him. he had this look on his face that suggested he didn't expect me to answer that way. Maybe he's still living in his fantasy world that I love him and I'd be willing to date gim. 

"Yah, Nayeon-ah. How can you say that to me? I've been suffering since that day I got here, how can you be so harsh?" He was smiling when he asked this. Something in me was happy to know that he's suffering. I can see it, it seemed like he's lost weight. It also seemed like he was beaten up by the other inmates. He was bruised on his face. 

"It's good to know that you suffered." I tell him. "I wish you'd be sentenced to death. I want you to fry, wriggle, and writhe in pain in the electric chair." 

It seemed like he was taken aback with what I had said. The once soft gaze he had moments ago turned to a very sharp gaze. He stared for some time before responding to what I said. 

"You're nothing. You know that, right?" He started. This hit me. "I am the son of a CEO and my father is doing his best to get me out of here. Do you really think your case will win against me? Get your head out of your ass and wake up. You are nothing. Your friends are nothing. The moment I step my foot outside of this penitentiary, I will make sure to make you and your friends suffer. You are a lowlife and if you die tomorrow, no one will take notice." he said this so easily that I wanted to hit him. The only thing preventing me from assaulting him is the wall. 

"You're right. I am a lowlife. But I am loved and I have my family and friends behind my back. You have nothing. You were born loved by no one and if you die, you'll still be loved by no one. No one will mourn you and your death will be seen as a big thanks-giving." I tell him, making sure I hit him where it hurts. He seemed startled, he's visibly shaking. 

"You sure talk big. Make sure you keep this energy when I get out of here." He seemed sure when he said this.

"We've got sufficient evidence to get you convicted in criminal court. Pray that your lawyers get you off the hook smoothly, who knows? You might get sent to death row. Spend your remaining days wisely." I tell him. I was about to stand up and finish everything already but then I hear him. 

"I will use everything in my power to get out of here and when I do, I will find you and I will get you. You and your little friends will suffer in my hands." Veins popped on his temple. That was when I dropped the phone, stood up, and grabbed Chaeyoung. 

"Let's go. We're done here." I mumble as I grabbed her arm. Chaeyoung was kind enough to just let me grab her. "Thank you, officer." I mumble at the on-duty officer and walk off to the exit door not looking that guy in the eye. 

* * *

**SON CHAEYOUNG'S POINT OF VIEW**

It surprised me how heated everything got inside the penitentiary. The waiting was longer than the actual conversation they had. Nayeon unnie was quiet the entire time we were traveling to our next destination. I didn't exactly hear everything, but I knew he said something bad to make Nayeon unnie storm off like that. I saw it too, his eyes, they became sharp. He was angry, I could tell. 

"Two caramel macchiatos for Nathalie." The waiter placed the coffee right in front of us. I was about to object because first of all, who is Nathalie? 

"Thank you." Says Nayeon unnie, she seemed to have calmed down now. I stare at her. 

"What the? Nathalie? You don't look like a Nathalie." I tease her as I reach for my cup of coffee. I see stick her tongue out before she proceeded to sip on her cup of coffee. We were currently at an entirely different coffee shop where I haven't been to. 

"That's my English name, pabo." She replied. "You have an english name too and I don't tease you about it."

"You don't tease me about it because it suits me." I tell her jokingly. "Nathalie doesn't suit you. You look more like a Norma." I tell her, I actually think I'm funny. 

"Norma?! No, I can't be a Norma. I'd rather get hit by a bus than be named Norma. That's an ahjumma's name!" She complains. 

"Aren't you an ahjumma?" I ask her and to this, she responded by slightly smacking my arm. "What about Helga? Helga suits you. You look like you were born to be named Helga." I jokingly add.

"I am not a witch!" She gave me this look that suggested she hated the name. "What's your English name?" she asks me back. 

"Katarina." I reply, hoping that she wouldn't roast me because of it. 

"So religious." She laughs out loud, it seems like she's in a good mood already. "Do you use your knees often?" She asks me this, I almost choked on my coffee because I knew what she meant. I just stare at her, figuring out how to respond to that. 

"I swing both ways, but I like using this more." I reply, pointing at my mouth. She stared at me. She suddenly became quiet that I just had to sip on my coffee silently. 

"You mean you're..." She trails off. "You like girls too?" She whispers. My eyes widen and I just stare at her. "That makes it four out of nine." She counts on her hands. 

"What do you mean by 'too'?" I asked her. "And what do you mean by four out of nine? Why are you counting?" I ask her. She gave me this look as if she just spilled things she's not supposed to say. I stared at her. 

"I like girls too." She had this shy look on her face. It felt weird, how we're casually just saying all this stuff to each other. 

"Who are the other two? " I ask her. 

"It's not my position to out them." She replies and I just stare at her, she's right. "Anyway, it's cool that you told me that. Not everyone would admit it the way you did. You're cool." She nervously laughs. "Did you by any chance date someone yet?" She asks me. I just stare at her, it felt weird. I then just laugh at her, it would be weird to tell her about Mina, right? Then she'd realize we used to screw while they were asleep. 

"Why? What's wrong?" She asked, she was obviously concerned because I was nervous laughing too. "Why? Is it someone I know?" She asked, I know she meant to ask that as a joke but I became awfully silent which maybe made her think if she was right. 

"What?" I laugh, I'm a terrible liar. I hate myself. "Nooooooo." I laughed again, sipped on my coffee, and then I became awfully quiet. 

"Holy shit. You big liar! You've dated someone I know! Is it someone from next door?" She suddenly became very interested, she even leaned in. I smile at her, I was clearly embarrassed because of what's happening. "DON'T TELL ME IT'S FROM OUR DORM?!" She almost screamed. I had to calm her down by covering her mouth using my hand. 

"Can you please be quiet?" I ask her. 

"Tell me. Tell unnie everything." She smiled like a kid. I can't believe I got myself into this. How the hell do I tell her everything? How do I tell her that I broke off everything with Mina because of her? How do I tell her I was once very jealous of her and because of that I am now alone and lonely. HOW? 

"It's Tzuyu. It must be Tzuyu." She smiled, a big smile. "You guys are always together, nothing can separate you guys." She said this as if she's cracked the code. I just stare at her and shake my head. 

"It's Myoui Mina." I reply and just look down. 

* * *

"You're dumb." Nayeon unnie finally breaks the silence between us. 

It took her a few minutes before she could actually tell me her thoughts about our situation. I just stare at her in disbelief, isn't that a little too harsh? 

"I get it now." She was serious when she said this. "Am I person you're referring to? Am I the person who you think Mina likes?" She chuckles. I just stare at her, a little annoyed because she's not taking any of this seriously. I just nod. 

"Do you remember that night when you walked in on us talking in the Kitchen?" She started, I had to try and remember what she was saying because I'm pretty sure that happened some time ago. "I thought it was weird how you didn't even join us. I thought you had a bad day but no. You actually thought we were flirting that night, didn't you? Don't lie or else you'll wake up shorter tomorrow." She warns me. 

"Yeah. I thought you guys were flirting." I tell her honestly. 

"That would be impossible though. Jeongyeon and I have been dating ever since she visited me. It was during her birthday." She casually tells me this. I just stare at her in disbelief. 

"So..." I trail off. "Holy shit, you guys are a thing?!" I was excited and happy of course

"Yeah, that's why you're dumb. You told me she kept bugging you when you guys were in Japan, right?" She asked me again. 

"Fuck." I huff in disbelief. 

"Yeah, huff all you want. Ah, how the hell can you be such a dummy?" She asked me and I just stare at her. She's right. I've listened to no one but myself this whole time that I completely drove MIna off. 

"Shit, I messed up unnie." I start to whine when everything hit me. 

"Yeah, you messed up big time. Pabo." She gave me the evil eye. "I'm so tempted to smack you right now. I swear to god I'm doing my best not to smack you." She kept on ranting. 

I just stare into thin air, feeling like I was sinking. 

"So you're telling me all of this is a misunderstanding?" I ask her. 

"I mean, she did like me." She chuckles, I had to stare at her to make her snap out of it. "But that's not the point. The point is her feelings for me are long overdue." She adds. 

"Did she say that?" I ask her. 

"Yeah." She smiles. This was enough for me to realize that I should go and talk to Mina. But how? I honestly don't know how to talk to her. Lately all we do is argue and I just feel so shy around her. "Anyway, you guys are good at hiding things. I never noticed you guys were a thing." She compliments me. 

"Oh, god. I miss her." I whine, covering my face with my palms. I'm currently massaging my face using my palms to calm myself down.

"You deserve it, dummy." She scolds me. I just stare at her but deep inside I was stressing on how to talk to Mina. "By the way, have you guys..." She trails off. I stare at her and realize what she meant. I scowl at her. 

"I'm not telling you anything." I tell her as I grab her arm, I wanted to get out of the cafe already. She remained seated though.

"What is this?" She asked.

"You're treating me to dinner." I was upset and I needed food, she just chuckled and stood up. Both of us walking out of the cafe. 

"So, have you guys? You know? While we were in the dorms too?" She jokingly asked. 

"Have you and Jeongyeon unnie done it?" I ask her back. She looked taken aback when I asked her this. 

"I can treat you to some steak if you want." She nervously offered. 

"That's what I thought." I replied as we both walked out of the establishment. 

_Four out of nine. I know who they are now._

* * *

After our visit to Minwoo, things have gone back to normal. Everyone's become noisy again and we all crack jokes every now and then. The information that I've uncovered about Nayeon unnie and Jeongyeon unnie has definitely changed the way I look at them. Whenever Jeongyeon unnie comes for a visit, I would throw this knowing look to Nayeon unnie and shrug my eyebrows. None of the other girls know about anything yet and I understand why. I'd do the same too if I was in their situation, except I am not because I am obviously single and alone right now. 

_Loser._

"Gather around! Gather around!" Shouts Jeongyeon unnie, she was in the middle of the kitchen. Today's Christmas day and we all promised to celebrate it together. It feels nice to celebrate and not worry about anything. 

"Coming!" Shouts Nayeon unnie shouts from right across the room. She's currently walking to where Jeongyeon unnie is, just like everyone else. I walk too and catch up to Nayeon unnie. 

"God, just marry each other." I whisper right by her ear, teasing her. 

"Shut up or I'll end you." She smiles at me which in a way made me feel nervous. 

Everyone quickly gathered around the circle, dinner was over and the next portion is, well, the drinking portion. These girls can't go on without drinking every celebration and to be honest, I find that very amusing about them. 

"Merry Christmas, dork. I was wondering how come Danny isn't here?" Momo asks Jihyo unnie.

"Ah, he's spending Christmas with his family." Replies Jihyo unnie and then she suddenly turns her gaze to Jeongyeon whose currently preparing the booze. "We're going to drink that, right?" She asks. 

"Of course." Smiles the ostrich. 

* * *

"Fuck!!" Out of nowhere Momo unnie suddenly cusses. Of course this way many bottles of soju later. I almost jumped out of my seat, it was all good though. I ended up chuckling. 

"Jesus Christ! Stop cursing!" Shouts Jihyo unnie. 

"Don't you dare include Jesus in this conversation!" interrupts Dahyun out of nowhere.

"Shush." Sana unnie tries to cover Dahyun's mouth. 

"Says the one who's also cursing." Laughs Nayeon unnie as she elbows Jeongyeon unnie for another shot. 

"You've had enough, stop asking for more." Jeongyeon unnie's talking was slurred, well, it been hours since we started. 

Everyone was spread all over the living room. Some were sitting on the couch, some were seated together, some were too drunk to even have more shots. Tzuyu was definitely out of it, she had her head rested on the table. I was sitting beside her of course, I can't let leave her alone just like that. 

"Yah, Chou Tzuyu! You weakling." Dahyun suddenly put her arm around the youngest. 

"You're drunk." I call Kim Dahyun's attention, this Prompted Sana who was beside her to scold Dahyun.

"Stop bugging Tzuyu or else." Sana had this sharp look in her eyes, which is scary, to say the least. I was just there, sitting and enjoying their company. Sitting right across me was Mina, I couldn't tell if she was drunk. Every now and then I would glance at her, making sure that when I do, she's looking away. 

"Yah, Park Jisoo." Momo unnie calls Jihyo unnie's attention. 

"It's Jihyo! Jihyo!" Jihyo unnie looks up from her phone just to correct Momo unnie. 

"Whatever." Replies Momo as she slides the soju shot to Jihyo unnie. "You miss him that much? We miss you too, you know." Momo unnie gave Jihyp unnie the evil eye. Because of this, Jihyo unnie reluctantly put her phone away. 

I am at least happy that the exchange of gifts was done already. It was revealed that Sana unnie was the one who picked me. I put the gift away though, it's in my room for safekeeping. So for now, it's all drinking. I don't know when we would end this, but I'm sure as hell I don't want to be as drunk as Dahyun, Nayeon, Tzuyu, and Momo. It's an awful sight. No one should suffer like me. 

"Baby, I'm tired." Huffs someone inside the room. This made everyone who was sober gasp. "I want to sleep." Adds Nayeon unnie. She was addressing Jeongyeon unnie. Everyone stared, the room became awfully silent. Tzuyu still had her head on the table, Momo unnie didn't give a fuck because she was drunk, and Dahyun was all over Sana. 

"Holy shit." Mumbles Jihyo as she pours herself another shot. "I need more of this." She huffs, referring to the liquor. She turned instantly red when she glanced at Nayeon and Jeongyeon.

"So you're telling me she reciprocated your feelings?!" Exclaims Sana unnie, she was staring at the currently drunk Nayeon who was in Jeongyeon's arms. Jengoyeon unnie looked pale, it was as if her soul left her body. I was waiting for her to say something, but it seemed like she was iced. I couldn't help but just look down and laugh because of how comedic this party has become. 

"Wait, you knew?" I asked Sana unnie. She stared at me and nodded. "Gee, thanks Nayeon unnie. All this time I thought I was special cause I knew your secret." I huff out. 

"You guys knew before me?!" Jihyo unnie exclaimed, this made me and Sana unnie nod our heads. "I thought we're best of friends? How could you not have told me? That's why you guys were awfully close!" Exclaims Jihyo unnie, she seemed disappointed. Not because her friends prefer women but because her friends chose to not tell her anything. "This is unfair, I should've known! I practically raised you two." Huffs Jihyo unnie. 

"You know who called me baby before?!" Out of nowhere, drunk Dahyun came to life. She had this odd look on her face which confirmed that she was really drunk. This suddenly made me scared. 

"Oh, god. Im Nayeon you're heavy." Huffs Jeongyeon unnie as she's trying to properly prop Nayeon unnie up. Of course, Jeongyeon unnie gave up. 

"Shut it Church girl or I'll end you." I suddenly blurted out of nowhere, I was staring at Kim Dahyun. This made the others stare at me. 

"You." Dahyun pointed to me, she was drunk laughing. After that, she fell right back to Sana's arms. "You smell so good." She huffed as she clung tighter to Sana. 

"You guys dated before?" Mina has been silent for hours, she was just drinking, laughing, and just overall enjoying the party with us. This was the first time that she ever really spoke out loud tonight. "I mean, not that I care." She adds. This made me stare at her for a while, is it weird that I wanted her to care? 

"C'mon. you can't believe anything she says. Right?" Replies Sana unnie to Mina. 

"Unless it's all true!" Jihyo unnie adds but then she shakes her head. "Pretty impossible though but I think it would be funny if it were true." She adds. 

"Okay, that's it." I stand up and start picking up the empty bottles of soju. "It's time to go to bed." I declare and that's when I hear the annoyed groans of the people who still wanted to drink. 

* * *

It wasn't long after when everyone who was sober started cleaning the living room. I was adamant about stopping the party since too many secrets were being revealed. I just felt weird about the whole situation. After Jeongyeon unnie has made sure Nayeon unnie is all cleaned up, she approached me and thanked me for calling it a night. I told her I understand and that thanking me wasn't necessary. After that, we all retreated to our rooms and that was when I started to feel like crap again. 

_Alone, once again._

The sudden knock from outside of my door made me sit straight up. I just stared at the door, wondering who could it be. 

"Who is it?" I ask. 

"It's me." I knew then and there who it was. I quickly stand up and open the door, and there she was. She's completely changed into something more comfortable and I can see that she's washed. She looked immaculate even in ordinary clothes and it pains me that I can't tell her that.

"It's you." Was all I could say. It felt off because I knew I had to say something more than that. I should say more than that. " Do you want to come inside my room, Mina?" I ask her, she then suddenly turned bright red and I knew what that meant. Because of that, I feel my cheeks becoming hot too. Since I didn't want it to be obvious, I just looked down. "No, not that. Please, I didn't mean it that way." I add. 

"I know." She replies, she seemed shy. "I came here because I forgot to give you this." This made me look up and realize she's prepared a gift for me. 

"Oh, god. You didn't have to." I mumble under my breath as I hesitantly accept the gift. 

"No, I have to. I need to." She replies. 

"I feel bad for not getting you anything." I tell her, I genuinely felt sorry. 

"You don't have to." She smiles. "Merry Christmas, Chaeyoung-ah." She adds before she turned her back and walked away. 

* * *

When I opened the gift, I was taken aback. It was the sketch I made for her months ago, it was framed. I didn't understand why she's giving it back to me, but then as I dug into the package more, I realized there was a letter. I hurriedly opened it. 

* * *

Hello there, Cub. I miss calling you by that nickname.

You might be wondering why I'm gifting this to you. Well, the answer is simple. It's because every time I see it inside my room, I just remember you. Chaeyoung-ah, it's been difficult for me to get the thought of you out of my head. I even wished that you were the one I had picked out during the exchange of gifts. But sadly that wasn't the case. Anyway, I want to tell you that I'm terribly sorry about what had happened in Japan. I should've handled the situation better. I guess all of this, you know, the thing between us is beyond repair. I miss you terribly, I really do. But the thing is you've already spoken about our situation. And I completely understand. I understand everything. As of now, I don't know where to start but maybe gifting this portrait back to you will make me miss you less. That's step one, I guess. 

If I was to turn back time, I would have done some things differently. 

Yours Truly,

Penguin 

* * *

_"_ _No, I have to. I need to."_ suddenly these words convey a different meaning now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please let me know.


	30. It takes one to know one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy the update!

**SON CHAEYOUNG'S POINT OF VIEW**

By New Year, everyone had gone home to their hometown. It was Jihyo unnie who was the first to go home. Of course, that doesn't mean she went home and met the family. Girlie probably met up with Daniel and hung out someplace. What happened next isn't really any of our business. Next was Tzuyu, that was expected because she's the one who lived furthest away from us. I actually helped her pack her things and I also escorted her to the airport. After that, everyone just sort of started disappearing on their own. I'd wake up to find the dormitory becoming increasingly empty. 

And then on the day before New year, it was just me. That was when I decided to pack my things and go home. Preparing was quick especially when you're alone. You won't have a problem with being too noisy or walking in on someone naked, or just being a total dick in general. I guess that is one of the nice benefits of living alone. But of course, I'd still want to live with these idiots no matter what. I'd still pick these chaotic idiots over anything. 

As I got ready and packed my things, I noticed I was mistaken about being alone. So I peaked outside of my room, but nothing was there. Of course, I had to have my guards up and check all the rooms. I quickly checked the room beside mine and nothing was there, when I was about to check the next room, I hear the toilet flush. I instantly froze, I might have really been mistaken about being alone. 

"Is anyone there?" I shout to the comfort room's direction. Not more than a few seconds later a person emerges from inside the bathroom. 

"You're going home now?" Mina asked me, she was fresh from a bath and water was dripping from her hair. She probably didn't expect anyone to be here too. 

"Yeah." I huffed a big sigh of relief, I didn't even notice that I was already staring at her intently. "How come you're still here? I thought you're---"

"Yeah, I know." She answered me immediately, avoiding eye contact. She then walked towards her room which I assume where she's going to change her clothes in. 

"Is your flight tonight, by any chance?" I ask her, I found myself wanting to continue our conversation. I then peaked from her door frame and see that she's already put on a bathrobe and is facing the mirror. 

"Nope." She replies immediately. "My family is busy during the holidays. There is no point in going home if I don't get to see them." She huffs. This time, I was already at her door frame, standing and just staring at her. 

"I see." I reply. 

"You don't have to give me that look, you know." She chuckles as she puts on some moisturizer on her face. I was like a kid staring at her mother getting ready for work. 

"What look? I'm just staring at you." I reply immediately, it was as if I was getting defensive almost. 

"Like you pity me." She replies. She then stared at me and smiled, it was the first time she's smiled at me in a while. "I'll be fine, New years isn't a big deal to me." She then grabs the comb and started combing through her hair. 

Even though how much I do my best to resent her, something in me just can't do it. Sometimes I even think it's unhealthy. But whenever I see her, softness just takes over me. I just feel all warm and soft inside when it comes to her. Maybe I feel this way because I know what happened between us was a big misunderstanding. I just quietly stared at her and realized how likable she is. It doesn't even take much to like her. Even with a simple smile, I feel like I'd melt into a puddle. 

"Hey." I try to get her attention. She immediately stared at me. The moment our eyes meet I knew I really had to do something about us. I need to. I miss her so much and I just feel like I'm dead inside. 

"What?" She asked and this time she was already done combing her hair. 

"Spend New Years with me and my family." I tell her. She stared at me for a while, she's probably wondering if I was joking. "I mean, they like you. Mom would be disappointed if she ever knew I had let you spend New years alone." I add, trying to not make my offer sound so serious. She had this tiny smile on her mouth. 

"So will you? Jeonghoon would absolutely love to play video games with you." I try to make her say yes. 

"Yeah. I'd love to spend time with you and your family." She smiled at me, a big bright smile and I swear for the first in a while, I couldn't hide my smile too. 

* * *

During the trip to my place, we both were quiet but it was a good type of quiet. I want to be honest and say that I never expected her to agree and join me. Happiness consumed me the moment she said yes and I honestly do not know if this is something good. I'm just too scared of having my heart broken again. 

"Jesus, you guys are loaded." Mina huffed the moment I led her to where we live. 

"Says the girl who paid for my plane tickets." I mocked her, trying my best to hide my smile. 

"I wanted you there anyway, that's why." She replied nonchalantly, looking at our gate. I paused, of course, I wanted to ask her what she meant by that but I'd rather not. I just nodded my head and smiled. 

"Hey." I call her attention before actually ringing on our doorbell. 

"What?" She casually replies. 

"Don't get my mother's hopes up." I tell her directly. At first, she had this confused look on her face but then it disappeared, she probably understood what I meant. "She likes you, she does. She'll probably even ask you to visit often." I add. "I don't want my family to be attached to you. Maybe you already know that I've dated Dahyun, right?" I ask her. 

"Yeah." She replies dryly, we were quiet for some time. It was awkward, she was looking down and tapping her shoes. 

"Yeah, we dated for two years but I never brought her here. You're the first person I've ever brought here so my mother might misunderstand things between us." I tell her honestly. 

"And that is?" She asks me. 

"Just tell her we're friends." I reply abruptly. I never thought my own words would hurt me like this, but of course, I kept a straight face when I said that. "I mean, that's the truth anyway." I add, I was looking at her like I was very bored. 

"Wow, I never thought you were the moody type." She smirks, she then points her finger to the doorbell. This made me immediately press on it, I see her chuckle so I just stare at her. I didn't want the intercom catching us arguing. "It suits you. I like it." She smiles a gummy smile, because of this my cheeks felt very hot and I couldn't help but just look down. 

_"Oh! It's Chaeyoung noona! Mom, she's with Mina noona!"_ It sounded like Jeonghoon, he's probably the one who's in the intercom. Seconds later, our gate opened and spit my mother and brother out!

"Mina-sshi!" Exclaims my mother as she opened her arms out, probably wanting Mina to give her a hug. Of course, Mina hugged her. I just smiled and shook my head. Looking at them bonding like that made me realize how natural all of this looked. How come Mina fit so well in our family? It's like she's the adopted daughter my mother never had.

"Yah. You didn't even open the gate for me when I came home for Chuseok." I complain and I just see Mina look back at me and she shakes her head. 

"Stop complaining, noona. You need to get inside and help mom prepare for Dinner." Says Jeonghoon, he was playing on his Nintendo switch. I was on the verge of hitting him when all of a sudden Mom puts her arm around me as if telling me not to mind my brother. "Noona, want to play some video games with me?" He asks casually. Mina gave me and my mother this look as if asking for permission. 

"Stop bugging Mina or else." I try to warn my younger brother but he just gave me this look of annoyance. That was when I feel Mina put her palm on my back as if telling me that she's got this. 

"Sure, Hoon. Noona will play with you." She smiles. 

* * *

"I'm glad that you're home." Whispers mom, she was cutting some vegetables and I was there with her. I was useless though so I just propped my elbow on the table and rested my chin on my palm. I was just there to observe her. 

"Didn't I promise you that I'll be home for New Years?" I chuckle, I was just there sitting on a chair. My back completely turned away from Jeonghoon and Mina playing video games. Dad was also there with them, he was on his phone.

"You did promise but you could've come sooner." She complained. 

"Well, Mina would not have been here if I came home earlier." I chuckle and mom just gave me this look, like a smile. 

"She's a nice girl." Mom briefly stared at the Mina and Jeonghoon playing. 

"She is." I slightly turn my head to their direction and stared at them for a while. It was timing because then and there the game just ended. Mina then turned her back to us and noticed that I was staring. She then stood up, folded her sleeves up, and walked towards us. 

"Anything I can do?" She smiled at my mom and I knew, my mother will forever be asking about her during the holidays.

"Well, for starters you can cut these for me." Says my mother, gesturing to the uncut vegetables. Mina smiled and gestured for my mom to hand her the knife and chopping board. Mina made it look easy. I couldn't believe it but I've never seen her cook in the Kitchen before. "You're actually very good at this. You should teach my daughter sometime." Laughs my mom and Mina smiles shyly at her, I see her briefly glance at me and then back to my mother again. I just roll my eyes at them and shrug, admitting defeat. 

_The audacity._

"Gee thanks, mom. That's a good way to make your daughter look useful." I roll my eyes at my mom and this made both of them laugh even more. I'm starting to think that they're ganging up on me. 

"She's a nice kid, Mrs. Son. She's a joy to have around the dorm." Says Mina, she was still chopping. She didn't look up nor pause when she said this, it seemed very natural when those words came out of her mouth. I wanted to say something but I couldn't. She's doing it again. She's making my mom like her even more. 

"That's good to hear, Mina. I hope you're taking good care of her when she's away from us." Smiles mom as she cleans her hand. She calls my father and brother's attention. "You two come with me, we need to buy things for tonight." She adds. 

"What things?" I ask her. I was curious of course, she might be trying to pull a trick here. 

"Well, food and stuff." She answers, she then stared at Mina briefly. "Anyway, I trust you guys can help each other? We won't take long." 

I wanted to question her why she didn't buy these 'materials' in advance but of course, I didn't really want to bother. Besides, she said it won't take long so why should I be fussy?

Not long after that, the three of them left and it was only the two of us. It didn't feel awkward nor empty since I have been accustomed to living with her in the dorm. Of course, I helped her with some things but she insisted on doing the majority of the chopping. I didn't care though since I'm not much of a vegetable chopper anyway. 

"You're doing it again." I whisper. I was hesitant at first to tell her this. As much as possible I didn't want to ruin New Years for us. 

"What?" She asked, she was done wiping the counter because we were already done with our task. 

"You know, making my family like you." I tell her. 

"What do you expect me to do?" She asked me, she had this little smile on her lips when she said this. "Look, I can't help it if I'm that likable." She smiled at me. 

"You're conceited." I chuckle. "Look, it's not going to be my fault if she asks for your number and if she asks you to visit often." I shake my head. 

"That's the point." She stared at me. 

"What?" I replied immediately. 

"Nothing." She had this look on her face when she said this. She wasn't staring at me intently, it was more of like she's staring at me casually and that she knows things will go according to her plan. 

Sometimes I just don't know how to talk to her, it seemed like she wanted to talk more but I think she also felt the same way towards me. Sometimes I wish I was just really good at interacting with her, I just wish I don't even have to try. But most of the time I'd just fall short and just become shy, so what's the point? 

"Hey, do you want to video call the girls?" She asked me. First of all, why would we do that when the others have no clue that I'm spending New Years' eve with Mina. 

"Hold od." I chuckle. "Stop fucking with me Mina." I wave my hand dismissively at her, she had this confused look on her face. 

"I'm not fucking with you, Chaeng." She sounds serious, she even looks confused. 

"Then how are we supposed to explain that you're here?" I ask her. she stared at me first. 

"Dummy." She chuckled. "Honestly, you think too much sometimes." She shakes her head.

* * *

It didn't really take long for everyone to join the video call. Mina was right though, none of the girls were really curious as to why she's with me. Everyone was just talking on top of one another and all I could say is I love the chaos. The whole time during the video call, Mina and I were seated together and if I were to be honest, I felt tense to be seated next to her. I didn't even care if the other girls would question me as to why Mina is celebrating New Year with me. 

Mina didn't seem to mind though. She seemed calm about everything. There were times when I'd take quick glances at her and I'd catch her smiling at the screen. It's times like this that I wish I could've done something to fix whatever happened between us. 

After a few minutes of conversing with the girls, one by one each of them started saying their goodbyes and logged off until it was only Sana, Mina, and I left on the chat. It was nice though, to talk to them during the holidays. It was refreshing. 

"Oi, how's everything other there?" Mina asks the remaining person, Sana. Sana stared and smiled at first, she had this unusual glow about her. 

"Everything's fine, honestly. As usual, it's cold." Says Sana sarcastically. 

"Ah, Sana unnie." I call her attention. 

"Yes, Chaeyoung-ah?" She acknowledged me.

"Belated happy birthday, unnie. I'm sorry my dumbass forgot to greet you." I smiled at her, hoping that she'd let me off. 

"Ohhh, I thought you hated me that's why I didn't receive a greeting from you." She jokingly replies. 

"Jeez, I would never!" I laugh.

"Anyway, thanks." She smiles. "You know, I didn't ask this when the others were still here. But I can't just let this off, I'm quite curious. You know?'' She had this grin on her face that somehow made me feel a little nervous. 

"Eh? What is it?" Asks Mina casually.

"How come you guys are spending New Years' together?" She asked this nonchalantly. I almost choked when she asked this but then I feel Mina's hand slide on my lap. As if telling me to be calm and let her handle the situation. 

"I mean, why didn't you just book a flight home?" Asked Sana, this time she had this slight smirk on her lips. 

"You know how difficult it is to book a flight during peak season, Sana." She was very calm when she said this. "Plus Chaeyoung invited me over, so why not?" She chuckled and then both of them proceeded to talk in Nihonggo. I just stood there like a confused baby goat but it was fine, I didn't mind. Suddenly, our intercom rang and I knew it was my parents. So of course, I told them I had to pick it up but Sana said it was fine and that she had to log off anyway. 

"Are you sure?" I asked her. 

"Yeah." She smiled. 

"Well, happy new year unnie." I smiled at her. 

"Happy new year, Sana." Mina followed. 

"Before I actually log off, I want you guys to know it takes one to know one." She winked at us. "Happy new year!" She chuckled and then logged off immediately before we were able to defend ourselves. 

* * *

After the video call with Sana unnie, my family came home. Of course, as promised, they brought all the food.

It made me wonder why mom had left us both alone during the whole time. Anyway, the family has decided to have dinner earlier and just do whatever we wanted after that. Basically, it was a solemn time. I remember whenever we do celebrate New Year, we would only come and celebrate when the clock would strike to twelve midnight. 

Needless to say, there was a lot of talking that happened. Mom and Dad kept asking about the rest of the people that we live with. We told them stories about our roommates and basically introduced my parents to our friends without my parents actually meeting the girls. But it was all good, it was fun. Mina even showed my parents photos of our friends. It was wholesome through and through. I could even say my parents were pleased because I don't usually tell them stories about people that I hang out with. 

When the clock struck twelve, everyone enjoyed that minute like it was the best thing. Then after that, my mom had this sinking realization. 

"Dad." She calls out to my dad and to this my father stared at her wondering what she could be thinking this time. 

"Yeah?" Dad replied, he seemed done with the celebration. I could tell he's going to sleep soon. 

"I just turned a year older." She sounded horrified when she said this. "I'm old." She had this worried look plastered on her face. 

"Honey, everyone in here turned a year older." He chuckled, pulling my mother closer to him. "And you don't look a day over thirty-five." He smiled and patted the top of my mother's head. This made me smile and for some reason, I quickly turned my gaze to Mina only to discover she's already looking at me. We immediately looked away, I was embarrassed, to say the least. 

"Mom, I have to do something." Jeonghoon excuses himself and proceeds to his room. He's probably going to call his girlfriend or something. 

"Is he going to facetime his girlfriend?" I asked my parents.

"He has a girlfriend?" Asks Mina, she seemed shocked. 

"I know right? I can't believe it either." I laugh with Mina. 

"I don't really know what's going on with that Kid." Says Dad, he didn't seem worried. He then stared at Mom. "You tired?" 

"A little." Mom replies but she then realized she had to clean the table. "Is it okay if you girls help each other?" She asked. She seemed tired. 

"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Son. Chaeyoung and I will handle it." Mina smiled and stared at me. Of course, I just nod at my parents. 

* * *

I am glad that I am able to welcome the new year peacefully, the last few months have definitely been very stressful. People had to go and people had to get hurt both emotionally and physically. I wasn't ready for the things I have experienced but I am thankful that I was able to survive it. I am thankful that Minwoo is finally behind bars and that he's no longer going to hurt us. 

After cleaning up, Mina and I got ready to sleep. Of course, we had to argue about where she was supposed to sleep. It won't work if we didn't banter. 

"What are you talking about? I'm telling you no." I sternly tell her, I was trying to keep my bedroom door open. She was already in her pjs, she's just there standing. 

"Look, it's not a big deal. I can do it." She replies, she won't go down without a fight. 

"No, don't make me feel bad." I motion for her to get into my room. "Just get in already, stop being like a child." my voice got deep when I said this. She then hesitantly walked inside, it was like she was dragging her feet. 

"I told you I can just sleep on the couch." She mumbles.

"And I'm telling you no." I say as I closed the door behind me. "What would your mother say if she knew I let you sleep on the couch? Your family even made a hotel reservation for me." I tell her, she did this thing with her face which made me think she was mocking me. 

"Fine, since you're insistent." She then proceeded to walk towards my closet where she found an extra sleeping bag. "Huh, an extra sleeping bag." She sounds amused when she said this. She then grabbed it and spread it on my bedroom floor. I didn't oppose to what she was doing though, we can't sleep in one bed. 

"What about it?" I ask her, I plopped on my bed. I then noticed she didn't have anything else so I handed her a pillow and a blanket. 

"You must've brought a lot of girls here." She jokingly said and I just had to stare at her for a while. 

"That's a self-warming sleeping bag, just so you know." I try to completely change the topic but instead she just mockingly nods her head. "What? I've already told you. You're the first person to meet my family and we're not even a thing." I completely lose my cool. 

"Jeez, you can be harsh sometimes." She stared at me like I was the annoying one. "Anyway, you just turned a year older. Congratulations." She reverted to her formal self. 

"Thank you." I tell her, still sitting down at this point. I didn't want to admit it but I wanted to stare at her for a little bit more. 

"Did you and Dahyun really date before?" She asked out of nowhere, when she asked this, it seemed like it is something that she's been thinking of for some time.

"Yeah." I tell her. "Why are you suddenly so curious?" I ask her.

"So it's really true that you guys dated? For how long and why'd you guys broken up" I just stare at her, I've never seen her this nosy before.

"Am I in an interrogation? What's up with all the questions?" I ask her back. 

"Well, there's nothing much to talk about." She shrugs, she was seated. 

"We dated for two years." I start, then I hear her chuckle a bit. "What?" I ask her.

"Nothing." She shrugs. "Please go on." She adds.

"I broke up with her because she was going to University," I tell Mina. "It was more of like puppy love. It wasn't that serious." I chuckle, reminiscing old times.

"So why didn't you guys say a word about it?" She asked.

"Why are you so curious?" I chuckle, staring at her this time. "You've never been this nosy when we had a thing. Why are you being nosy now that there's nothing between us?" I jokingly tell her. She stared at me for a while not really saying anything and then she just lay on the sleeping bag. 

"Anyway, thanks for welcoming 2020 with me." I softly tell her, I was just seated on my bed. 

"Thanks for introducing me to your family. They're lovely." She was staring at the ceiling when she said this. 

"I'm sure they thought you were lovely too. I mean, not just physically." I tell her. 

After that, we became silent. No words were exchanged but none of us fell asleep too. I was just there, seated in the same position. I shamelessly stared at her while she stared blankly at the ceiling. We remained like that for quite some time. I knew she noticed I was staring. It made me wonder why she's not saying anything. Is she waiting for me to make the first move? 

"Hey." I finally crack and call her attention. 

"Yeah?" She answered me immediately. Her eyes were sleepy.

"I've read your letter." I start, I feel this big lump on my throat when I said this. 

"That's good, I guess?" She replied. 

"When you said if you were to turn back the time you'd do things differently, what did you mean by that?" I ask. She nodded and stared at me for a while. 

"I would've been more upfront to you. I would've done everything in my power to not hurt you like that." She replies, she sounded calm and careful when she said that.

The days after our Christmas party was an absolute blur. It was boring and because of that, I had lots of time for myself. This meant that I had a lot of time to think of stuff and figure out some things. As I look at her now, I don't feel any hatred. All of the pain is gone and I just want her to be in my arms. I invited her because I wanted to make things right between us.

"But you don't have to turn back time." I get off of my bed and sit beside her. "That is not how it works." I tell her. 

"I know." She replies, she's refusing to look at me by stubbornly staring at the ceiling.

"We have to move forward and eventually put everything in the past." I add. I was sitting beside her and staring at her while talking. She was still lying down, she didn't look at me though. She refuses to do so. 

"If you're going to break my heart tonight, do it immediately. I hate it when you say so many words and not get straight to the point." She huffed. 

"Will you stop being such a baby and face me?" I know I wasn't asking nicely but she had to hear it. She amazingly sat up and stared at me, she looks kind of hurt. Her eyes can't lie and I just had to stare at her. 

"Dude, I'm trying to sleep." She replies. I had to roll my eyes at her reply. 

Ever since we got home, I was able to unpack some of my things. One of those things is the gift that she has given me during Christmas. I knew what she meant by giving me my sketch back and I hated it. I reached from below my bed to recover the framed sketch that I made for her months ago when we were still strangers.

"Look, I'm giving this back to you." I hand her the sketch and when she received it, she had this confused look on her face. "In your letter, you told me you don't want anything that reminded you about me, Son Chaeyoung. But that isn't exactly what I want." I tell her. 

"But why?" She was more confused now. 

"I want you to look at this sketch and smile. I want you to place that back in your room." I tell her. She was still so quiet, she just stared at me with her lovely eyes. "I want to start over again, Mina. Can we just forget everything that has happened and start over again?" It seemed like I was the one begging but I didn't really care anymore.

"I realized how much happiness you add to my life and I want that. I want you, all your flaws included." I tell her, I was smiling the whole time. I didn't even notice my hand was already holding hers. 

Mina was just staring at me, her gaze was soft and it seemed like she's about to cry. I just stare at her while holding her hand. 

"We've already welcomed 2020 together. That on its own speaks volumes about what we have. We always get tangled with each other without meaning to. Don't you think that's a sign?" I chuckle because it's true. We always end up together in strange places. It was as if the world was telling us to talk through things.

"Can we put everything that has happened between us behind in 2019? Come back to me." I tell her the truth. "I missed you." my voice cracked when I said this. She was smiling and that's when she pulled me to a hug. The moment she hugged me, a good amount of weight has been lifted off of me. I missed her, I really did. It felt so good to tell her all of this. 

"Oh god. I missed you." She whispered, her palms soothing my back and I just fell in her arms effortlessly. It was as if I fit there. We hugged each other for some time, it was like we were trying to make up for all the time we've lost. We were there, hugging each other without saying anything. 

"Can you grant me one wish?" I ask her, I pulled away from her and see her nod. "Can I kiss you?" I ask her, I was already shameless at this point. 

"Yes." She smiled. It wasn't difficult, it felt natural when I placed my hand on her nape and pulled her close to me. Everything felt natural, leaning in and placing my lips on hers was the best thing that happened to me this New Year. When I pulled away, she smiled back and pulled me close to her too. She kissed once more, this time she took the lead and I swear I could just melt in her arms. With her, everything just feels right and easy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the update!


	31. Crushed crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you guys enjoy this update!

**SON CHAEYOUNG'S POINT OF VIEW**

Right after celebrating New Years' Eve with my family, Mina and I have decided to go back to the dorm and spend our time together there. It was only the two of us for days, we were there just enjoying each other's company. We had to grab the opportunity anyway since the others weren't going to be here until a week later. So Mina and I enjoyed the dorm to ourselves and of course, as the saying goes, 'when the cat is away, the mice will play'. I never thought I would ever compare us to mice but yeah, it's pretty accurate. We both knew we can't be acting all clingy when the others are around, so we just had to grab our chance.

It was fun, it was like I was living with her. I never thought we only needed e few minutes of conversation to actually fix the problems we had. I remember getting so heated right after kissing her in my room that she had to remind me that my parents and brother were in the house too. That was mainly one of the reasons why we had to bid goodbye the next day. Well, other than that, another reason why we decided to go back to the dorms the next day is that we needed to make up for all the time that we've lost. We both were too busy being dumb that we didn't realize all we had to do was sit down and talk about the problem. 

_Our problem_

We were lucky enough to spend more than a week together, I guess I was also lucky that she's decided not to go and book a flight home for New Years. The days we've spent together were pure bliss. There were times when we'd sleep in and just lay in bed all day. Most of the time we'd stay in her room but it didn't really matter since all the rooms were empty anyway. We would cook and fool around in the kitchen since no one else was there except us. We'd be wearing loose shirts and only underwear and nothing else for our bottoms. There would be times when we'd watch television and we'd end up cuddling each other, we'd talk about the things we like and things we don't like. We were getting to know each other and I've never felt this happy before. 

"Wait a damn minute." I turn to her, we were in the middle of watching a movie. We just had dinner.

"What is it, babe?" She turned to me and gave me this confused look. 

"Don't call me babe." I warned her, she shrugged and paused the movie we were watching. 

"Oh god, what is it this time?" She was confused but she still her hand around me.

"What are we? We're a couple, right? We can't be doing all this shit together if we're not. I can't let that happen again." I tell her honestly. She was sipping some water when I said this, she almost choked.

"What? Of course, we're a couple. Why the hell would I call you babe if we're not?" She had this wacky smile when she said this and I just had to stare for a bit. "Oh, god. You're such an idiot, it was day one when you kissed me in your room ma'am." She laughed and hit play. 

"I was just making sure!" I complain. 

"Jeez, you need to learn how to pick up social cues. We've been practically living together for days and you're just asking me now if we're a couple?" She laughs, her eyes on the screen while her hands on my head. She's gently rubbing my head. "You're an idiot." She whispers, it was followed by a chuckle. 

"Correction." I chuckle, I then put my arm around her neck, pulling her closer to me. I then plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I'm your idiot. You can't get rid of me now." I laugh, now trying to give more attention to the show we're watching. 

"Anyway, I hate that the others are going to be here soon." She jokingly reminds of the impending surge of people in the dorms. 

"Well, that means we'll have to be careful then." I tell her what I think.

"Do you think we should tell them?" She asked, she was staring at me. 

"Do you want to tell them?" I ask her, I was obviously taken aback by her question. She stared at me, she seemed confused too. "You see, I don't want to rush into things. What about you?"I ask her, it's true. It just feels like rushing into things would make our relationship shaky.

"I like that. I don't want to rush into things either." She smiled, her hand slid down to my hand and I feel her holding it. I feel her lightly squeeze my hand. "Let's just cross the bridge when we get there." She smiled. 

* * *

As expected, the next day, the first person has arrived from her Holiday. Mina and I were preparing breakfast in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I was glad that we both decided to wear proper clothes because Chou Tzuyu wasn't waiting for anyone to open the door for her. The girl was so impatient that she opened the door for herself. Because of this, Mina and I immediately broke apart the moment we heard footsteps. 

"Huh! You're home!" Sighed Mina, it was obvious that she was taken aback. She had this dazed look on her face which made me want to laugh. But of course, I had to restrain myself from laughing at my girlfriend. 

"Welcome home, giant." I smile at her. She had this blank look plastered on her face which made me suspect that she's thinking about something. "Join us, we expected you'd be the first come back anyway." I smile at her, motioning to the spread that Mina and I made. 

"Didn't you guys hear me come in?" She asked, she walked towards the sofa and placed her things there. She seemed indifferent though. "I rang the doorbell thrice. Were you guys busy or something?" She asked. 

"Ah, Tzuyu-ah. So many questions." Says Mina as if she's disappointed. "Didn't you miss me at all?" She tries to steer the conversation. This made me chuckle, horrible acting. 

"Pabo, we weren't busy. The doorbell's probably broken or something." I try to steer the conversation too. Then spread we made catches my attention so I immediately grab Tzuyu to the table. I wanted her to not ask anything more. I don't want to raise suspicion. 

"Dude, I clearly heard the doorbell go ding dong." She seemed really suspicious, her eyebrows were raised and she sounded impatient. 

"What does Ding dong sound like?" Asks Mina. This made Tzuyu and I stare at her. The confusion was strong. 

"What?" Tzuyu asked immediately. 

"Exactly." Says Mina as if she actually proved a point. "Eat your breakfast. Stop asking so many questions." She seemed serious when she said this. 

"Listen to her, Tzuyu-ah. We'll help you unpack your things later, okay?" I add and just like that, we made her not ask any more questions. 

* * *

It didn't take long for the others to get back to the dorms and just like that everything became chaotic again. The silence that Mina and I basked in was no longer there but it didn't really matter. There were times when we'd just sneak into each other's room when we're sure that everyone's asleep. We'd usually just wake up extra early to play things off. 

After that, our classes started again. This meant we were busy doing our own thing again. Of course, we had readings and tests that we need to do. Tzuyu and I were once again busy with the hopeless case of the School Festival. The girl and I even had a conversation about not participating in it the next year. The truth is, it is such a thankless job that we don't feel any satisfaction in volunteering at all. 

As for Sana unnie, she's decided to be re-located at another convenience store location. It was cool since the place where she's relocated is quite near our University so Tzuyu and I would constantly visit her during lunchtime and just eat there. According to her, she still hasn't had the courage to tell her parents what she's done. However, she's decided that it was best for her to re-enroll next school year. I guess she's really decided to become a doctor. 

Nayeon unnie and Jeongyeon unnie has become increasingly more affectionate, of course, there would be times that they would bicker but we knew it wasn't that serious. Since our Christmas party, everyone has come to an understanding that the two of them are a couple and that nothing is wrong with that. There would be times when Jeongyeon unnie would come over and there would be times when Nayeon unnie wouldn't be home since she's in the dorm next door with Jeongyeon. That's mainly one of the reasons why Mina and I have decided to not tell everyone about our relationship yet. It's not that we're afraid, it's just that we don't want to make it seem like our dorms are a breeding place for couples. 

* * *

"Chaeng-ah." Tzuyu taps my back. Of course, I stare at her.

"Yeah?" I ask her. We were both working through the event. It's lunchtime and the seniors have taken their 'break' which is bullshit because they didn't even do anything, to begin with. Those nasty seniors are just lazy. 

"Do you want to grab lunch?" She asked me, of course, I had to take a quick glimpse at my watch to make sure we were good to go. I didn't want to make Haesoo mad again. Her bitching just makes me want to rip my ears out. 

"Yeah, sure. It's twelve-thirty anyway." I reply and we then pick out stuff up and just go. 

For today, we didn't really have a class since it's the weekend. But the seniors were insistent on making us go to University and make us do some things for the Festival. I honestly felt cheated because it really baffles me how the seniors don't even help out. It's just unfair since they're the ones who get all the credit. Anyway, Tzuyu suggested that we visit Sana unnie's workplace and have lunch there. I mean, I can't complain. Convenience store food is cheap and it's good. Plus I get to hang out with my two good friends so why not?

"Jeez, you guys are always hanging around here." Sana unnie makes it sound like she doesn't like that we eat at her workplace all the time. But she was smiling when she said this so I knew she was just joking. 

"Don't be too confident. We're sick and tired of you too." I jokingly tell her. 

Tzuyu and I were seated in the seats where customers are supposed to eat. It was almost 1 pm when we started eating. This location is supposed to be very busy during lunchtime but for some reason, the business was sort of slow at the moment. This allowed Sana unnie to sit with us and chit-chat for a while. 

"Yah, unnie. have you eaten yet?" Tzuyu asks the older girl out of nowhere. 

"I haven't." She nonchalantly replies and then she proceeds to grab Tzuyu's cup ramen. "You don't mind, right?" Asks Sana, Tzuyu just became quiet and nodded. Sana then proceeded to eat some of Tuzyu's food like it's something she does every day.

"Here you go, have some of this." I give her some of my triangle kimbap which she happily ate. "Yah, unnie. How come you always forget eating on time?" I ask her. It's because whenever we visit her, she would always ask to have some of our food. 

"Yah, this is called being sweet!" She tries to explain her situation. 

"Getting ulcer isn't sweet. It's a step closer to death. If that's your standard for a happy life then your partner's going to be one troubled person." I say this without even pausing, this made Sana unnie look at me like she wanted to murder me. 

"Jesus, when did you become such a smart mouth?" She asks. I just stare at her and shrug proudly. I guess Mina is rubbing off on me. I'm starting to sound like her. 

"Unnie, we already know your situation." Says Tzuyu, she had this look on her face which I couldn't quite describe. 

"Your point?" She tried her best to sound tough but Tzuyu and I are capable of seeing through that thin sheet of 'toughness' she had. 

"We can help." Tzuyu replies. This time it felt like I wasn't in the conversation at all. It felt as if I was just there as a third person. It felt like I was floating. Sana smiled softly at Tzuyu and I knew that meant something. I can't quite tell what it was but I knew that Tzuyu and Sana are closer. 

"Tzuyu-ah, stop making me feel useless." Laughs Sana, and even though her response did not seemed pained, her eyes convey otherwise. 

"I'm not trying to make you feel useless." Replies Tzuyu and then the air between us suddenly became awkward. I was just there, I was squished between the two of them. Honestly, I'm starting to feel like I don't want to be in here. 

"Look." I try to break the growing tension between them. "I'm getting indigestion because of all this bickering." I jokingly tell them, but I tried to make it seem like I'm serious. They became quiet for a few seconds. 

"You gotta eat more vegetables, shorty." Says Sana unnie out of nowhere, this made me chuckle. 

"Drink something for indigestion then, you're blaming innocent people." Adds Tzuyu as if she wasn't having any of my nonsense. 

"Look, Sana unnie will ask us for help if she needs any. Right, unnie?" I look at Sana unnie and she nods enthusiastically. "Stop worrying so much about her, she's a big girl. I'm pretty sure she can handle herself." I try to console Tzuyu. 

"Anyway, stop worrying about me." Said Sana when all of a sudden we hear someone walk in. Sana unnie immediately looks at the entrance and she stands up. "I've got to work guys." She then hurriedly jogs back to the counter. 

"Yah, why did you side with her?" Whispers Tzuyu. 

"You're acting like she's younger than you. You have to acknowledge that she's older than you. You also have to respect her decision. She'll ask for help when she needs to, okay? Please don't worry so much." I whisper back to her, she just stared at me. It seemed as if what I had said didn't really register to her but then again she can process my words as long as she wants to. 

"Did I sound mean?" She asked. 

"A little." I tell her honestly. "Chill, dude. Don't get too worked up." I scoot closer to her and gently tap her back. She then stared at me and just nodded.

* * *

**CHOU TZUYU'S POINT OF VIEW**

Going home to Taiwan for the holidays was a great way to detach myself from all the stress that we've encountered. Everything seemed gloomy before Minwoo got caught. Many things happened including Nayeon unnie's departure for the countryside. That event specifically made me realize how grave the situation we are in. 

Things are becoming easy now ever since Minwoo got imprisoned. The weight on our Chests has been lifted off, but the truth is everyone is still scared for their lives. Minwoo is still awaiting trial and because his father's company brings South Korea pride, we're scared that the government would let the guy go. If you're a big name in Korea, it's difficult for you to be charged. It's honestly better off if he's dead. If only we're in Taiwan then we can easily hire someone to dispose of him. But we aren't and that's another problem. 

_But that doesn't matter, in time things will be solved. I hope so._

Later that day, I decided to go and visit Sana again. It's not something that I had planned for a long time, in fact, the idea just came to me. Of course, I feel like I had to follow through with the idea, the plan seemed alright. But that's the thing with me, I know when things are good or bad for me. But the outcome doesn't influence my action, I'm that type of person.

For example, when I was in high school, I had a fight with a classmate. You know, instead of thinking clearly and planning how to get back at her, my dumbass went on and picked a fight with her outside of School. I know that sounds terrible but after the catfight, I made up with that classmate. It was sort of a stress reliever per se. But I know better now, I got a lot of scolding from my parents after that happened. 

But anyway, the story is not the point. The point is I am the type of person who doesn't care about the outcome. My dumbass love immediate gratification and that is what makes me do bad decisions. For my situation right now, my immediate gratification is seeing and talking to Sana. God knows what this might lead to, I don't really care. I just want to talk to her right now. That's it. 

"Oh? Tzuyu-ah. What brings you here?" her shift is done and I'm lucky enough to have caught her on her way out. 

"I was meaning to talk to you." I smile at her and of course, she smiled back. 

* * *

It didn't really take that many words to invite Sana to dinner. We've hung out so many times that all I have to do is give her a certain type of look. Maybe that's how our relationship works? I was never the type to say much while she's the complete opposite of me. She's confided in me so many times and there was never a time that I never listened to her. Sana loves pouring all these stories to me. I can't complain because, through those stories, I got to know her. Maybe that's the reason why I grew to like her. Her stories gave me an idea of her and I also liked the fact that I was the one she confided to. 

_I guess I wanted to feel like somebody needed me._

"I missed this, I haven't really hung out with you in a while." Sana smiled, our food was just served and we were just talking about a bunch of things. We were basically catching up and asking all these questions. It was cool and nice to actually see her again.

"Yeah." I smile at her, I didn't really know how to talk to her. I guess I lost that ability.

"So like, how have you been? Have you been active in the dating scene lately?" She casually asked me, she's working her way through her food. She stared at me, waiting for me to answer her. 

"I uh..." I trail off, I couldn't really answer her directly. "Is your food good?" I try to steer the conversation, I was smiling when I asked this. 

"Yeah! It's good, good thing you came to pick me up at the right time." She smiled. 

"Yeah, that's my thing!" I laugh nervously. 

We became silent after that, it wasn't the type that was an awkward silence. It's the silence that was comfortable, the type of silence that wouldn't make me worried about the next thing I should add to the conversation. Dinner came and went by quickly, maybe it's because I enjoyed her company. We decided to then walk to our dorm. I was used to this, we usually walked back to our dorm when I used to pick her up from work. 

"You never really answered my question." She broke the silence, we were still walking at this point. 

"What?" I asked her, I knew what she meant but I refuse to give in. I guess, the outcome won't be as good as I think it would be. I then see Sana slowly walking towards a bench, it was right below a street light where there was a shed that protected us incase it snowed. "What are you doing?" I ask her. 

"Well, I haven't really conversed with you in a while. I just thought we could talk, you know?" She says this with ease, she then sat down and stared at me. She was obviously waiting for me to sit next her. "Come sit here, I can't really hear you when we're walking." She shrugs. 

"Yeah? That's cool too." I reply, this time I was already sitting next to her. "What do you want to talk about?" I ask her, realizing I just dug a grave for myself. 

"Have you like been active in the dating scene lately?" She asked me. I have to pretend to chuckle before I actually answer her. 

"You see, why would you even ask that dude?" I chuckle, hoping that my response would faze her.

"Well, you haven't really been around lately." She whispered when she said this, which made me think she actually doesn't want to say it. 

"What do you mean?" I ask her, pretending like I didn't understand what she's saying. 

"I meant like seeing me. You know? Like picking me up." She makes what she meant clear. I just had to stare at her, it's because I didn't know how to answer her question. "That's why I thought you've been dating, it's because I haven't seen you in a while." She repeats.

"No, I'm not really in that place right now." I tell her the truth. "I've been just busy, that's all unnie." I smile at her, hoping she'd drop it off. "Why are you looking for me anyway? That's strange. Isn't Dahyun unnie the one who's like been picking you up lately?" I suddenly blurt this out, she then gave me this stare that I couldn't explain. 

"That's..." She trails off. "How do you know that?" It sounded as if she was taken aback. 

"Why? Is that something I'm not supposed to know?" I sarcastically ask her, expecting she'd laugh with me. She just gave me this look that seemed like I wasn't supposed to know anything. So I had to tell her something. "You guys can't be more obvious." I lie through my teeth. It's because I've always known they have a thing, but I'd rather make it seem like they're obvious so that she doesn't question where I got the information. 

"Well, I guess I can't hide it from you now." She seemed sorry when she said this. 

"I guess you don't." I reply, wishing they would hide it from me. I don't want to see any of it. "Anyway none of that is important." I blurt out, realizing the bitterness in my tone. 

"Why the hell aren't you freaking out?" She asked me, she had this confused look all over her face. 

"Freak out about what?" The only thing I'm freaking out about is that I'm talking about this to you. Damn.

"Chou Tzuyu, I meant Dahyun and I have a thing." She said this slowly as if she's easing me to the information. "Why aren't you reacting?" She asked. 

"What? Do you want me to like cry or some shit?" I replied and I knew I'm not filtering any of my sarcasm anymore. 

"Wait, this whole is not strange to you? Like, you don't care that we're both girls?" She asked me this as if the question is funny. 

"No." I reply immediately, she still looked very confused. "It's because I'm into girls too." I add. 

I saw how various emotions wash over her face in a few seconds and I expected that. I know coming out to her when she came out to me isn't really conventional per se, but it is what it is. I stare at her, expecting her to act all extra. But she stared at me. It was quiet and cold outside, we were wearing our winter clothes and I just wanted to go home. 

"Should we go home now?" I jokingly ask her. 

"How come you didn't tell me?" her tone suggests that she felt betrayed. I stare at her and I knew how stupid her question was. 

"I just knew, okay?" I tell her the truth. "It's not like I've always known this whole time." I add. 

"How recent?" She kept on pushing. 

"A little after I moved to Seoul." I tell her the truth.

There was this uncomfortable silence that followed after I spoke. Good thing it wasn't snowing, though I admit it is very cold. She just gave me this look that I can't specifically read. I couldn't say much as well since I'm not the type of person who'd say something in situations like this. I've never seen Sana like this, like deep in her thoughts. She looked serious. 

"Who's the person, Tzuyu-ah?" She carefully asked. 

"It's none of your business." I knew I came off as a little harsh because I didn't really want to go there. But I know her, she won't stop unless she gets the answer. "You don't have to know, okay?" I try to make it seem like I wasn't really that mad.

"Why not? What would happen if I knew?" She asked me, this time she seemed eager. 

"I just don't want to talk about this." I tell her. 

"I should've known." She replied, she had this sad look in her eyes. "All those times you picked me up from work, all the meals you paid for me, the money, the offers, and the help." She continued. I knew where she was going, she wasn't going to easily make me confess. She's going to squeeze a confession out of me. 

"Stop. I don't want to talk about this." I plead. I didn't want her to go on because I do not know what might happen next if we don't stop here. 

"Is it me?" Sana asked, and I knew that she had cracked the code. I couldn't really speak, I just stared at her in disbelief. "Chou Tzuyu, do you like me?" she asks me. 

"Is that a crime?" I ask her back and this time she just became silent. "Look, I've given up on you a long time ago. I know that I wouldn't stand a chance against Kim Dahyun. That's something that I've told myself thousands of times, you don't have to worry about anything." I smile at her, but even though I see this conversation as a closure, why does it still hurt?

"I guess I never knew." She whispered. 

"And that's okay." I smiled, not really looking at her. I was sort of staring at my shoes. 

"I just never saw you that way." She huffed. "You've seen all my hardships and I've always been pitiful in your eyes. You've helped me with everything and I can't articulate enough how much I feel indebted to you." She adds.

"I like you and that's all I know. Helping you does not have anything to do with my feelings." I tell her the truth and I see her look at me with those pitiful eyes. Is it pity? Is it distaste? I do not know. 

"The truth is, I don't think you like me because you like me. I think you like me because to you, I am someone who constantly needs you. Maybe to you, I am someone who is imperfect, clumsy, and pitiful. Maybe you like me because you feel that you could fix my problems including me." She adds. 

I stare at her and realize how right she was. 

"But that's the thing. Even though you're there for me, and how much you care for me, my heart can only beat for Dahyun and no one else." She says this slowly as if trying to lessen the pain. "I don't see you that way. I'm sorry, I should've prevented all of this from happening, I couldn't believe I never noticed a thing." She sounds really sorry.

Her words were painful. Maybe she's right and all this time I just wanted to feel like somebody needed me? Maybe Sana did make me feel needed. Is that such a bad thing? To feel like somebody needed me?

"I don't regret anything," I tell the truth. "I've discovered something wonderful about me and I don't think it's that bad." I smile at her. She stared at me. I then stand up and just gave her a smile. 

"Where are you going?" She asked me. 

"I wish to go home separately." I was a little heartbroken, but that's okay. "I just thought I should at least let myself have some pride." I add, still smiling at her.

"Okay, I'll hail a cab for you." She stands up and waves down a cab which amazingly caught on immediately. 

"I guess this is the last time I'll be picking you up from work, unnie." I smile at her as I get inside the cab. 

* * *

**SON CHAEYOUNG'S POINT OF VIEW**

It's been a while since I've hung out with Mina, ever since the others came back from the holiday I barely got the time to lay down and just talk to her. We were currently in my room, she was playing on her switch while laying flat on her belly. Of course, I had nothing else to do but lay beside her while I scrolled through my phone. 

"You didn't really tell me how your day went." Mina mumbled under her breath, she was still playing on her switch. I then carefully lay my head on her back. 

"It was alright, really. Tzuyu and I worked our ass off---" She cut me off.

"Well, I better see results." She jokingly said this without even turning her console off. 

"Perv, that's not the point you idiot." I laugh, still scrolling through my news feed. Suddenly, she turns her switch off and places it beside her. She just stared at me and I stared back. 

"What are you waiting for? Come and hug your idiot then." She smiles which exposed her gums. Of course, I didn't hesitate, I immediately crept beside her and gave her a light squeez. I hear her chuckled, I then feel her plant a kiss on my forehead. 

"How many days has it been?" She asked. 

"What do you mean?" I ask her back, I didn't understand what she was talking about. 

"Since we spent a night together?" She asked, my arms were still wrapped around her. I refuse to let go. 

"It's probably been three days, babe." I answer her. 

"Well, it feels like a very long time." She chuckles, I didn't really say anything, I just cuddled with her. 

We spent quite some time in silence after her response, but all of a sudden the peace in my room was shattered when a rowdy Chou Tzuyu flung my door wide open. This happened not more than ten minutes later. I was taken aback not because Tzuyu was there but because my door wasn't locked. 

"You didn't lock the door?!" I blurt out as I immediately sit up, trying to button my blouse that's been unbuttoned halfway through.

_Don't ask me why it's unbuttoned, ask Mina._

"Damn it." I mumble under my breath as I stare at Mina.

"I'm so sorry." whispers Mina as she wipes her mouth. I wanted to cover Mina's mouth but it was too late. Even though Tzuyu seemed dazed I can see the way she reacted when she saw me hurriedly buttoning my blouse up. I expected Tzuyu to turn around and walk away but she surprisingly walked towards us and comically fell on our laps without saying a word. She emitted this strange smell from her. 

"Are you drunk?" Asked Mina, she was asking the wrong question since Tzuyu is obviously drunk. 

"Tzuyu-ah, what's wrong?" I asked, and then that's when we hear her sob. It was just a restrained sob, it was as if she didn't want the others to hear her. I just stared at my girlfriend, I was confused and she seemed confused too. 

"Yo, I just did the worst confession ever and I came here..." Tzuyu suddenly stood up groggily and pointed to me. "Expecting that you'd be alone but then I see you with her!" She sobs while pointing at Mina. "How the hell is everyone dating in these dorms while I'm here just being all sad and single?" She was getting loud and obnoxious so Mina had to stand up and lock my door, we know sober Tzuyu would've wanted that. 

"Tzuyu-ah, can you tell me what's wrong?" Mina suddenly became soft and this made Tzuyu stare at her, her eyes looked broken and her hair was all over the place. 

"Sana squeezed a confession out of me but then she told me she's never going to like me back!" Tzuyu exclaimed and I just had to cover her mouth. I look over to Mina and she looked worried. 

"We need to do something about this." Mina whispered.

That night, Mina and I decided that it was our responsibility to take care of Tzuyu. It was difficult at first because of all the sobbing, but it eventually became easier when she started getting sleepy. It was such an unexpected thing but what can we do? She needs us and comforting her is the least that we could do. That night, Tzuyu ended up sleeping on my bed while Mina and I slept together in a sleeping bag on the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are guys are having a nice and easy day. Please don't forget to wear a mask when you go out and always practice social distancing! Please don't fall sick, okay? 
> 
> By the way, BLAMELESS is going to be finished soon and I'm so excited how this will all turn out! I have been drafting the epilogue since a month ago and I'm very excited for you guys to read it. Ciao!


	32. Cupid by chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this update.

**SON CHAEYOUNG'S POINT OF VIEW**

Mina and I became officially a couple after we shared a kiss in my room. However, we've never really gone on a date just yet. I know it's a strange thing for couples not to date, but like, I guess we're a special case. We live together and we're definitely a busy pair, she's busy with studying and practicing for the school dance and I'm busy with studying and helping organize the school festival. We've never really gone on a date so like, there would be times we'd just meet up after school and have dinner together. It's nothing really fancy, I guess? Most of the time we'd just hang out in each other's room, of course, we'd make sure everyone's not around. We'd also take extra precaution and lock our door, we both don't want the Tzuyu situation happening to us again. That was something. 

"Honey." She calls my attention. We are currently in her room, we both had already showered and we're in our pajamas. I am currently massaging her aching feet, she usually asks me to do so right after her dance practice. I stared at her for a while and raised both my eyebrows while still massaging her. 

"Yeah? Should I put more pressure?" I ask her, then I hear her chuckle. 

"Do you envy couples who are able to go out and date outside?" She asked me, she had this look on her face which made it look like she's worried. 

"I mean, like, we aren't like other couples." I smile, still massaging her feet. "You've got ugly feet, by the way." I jokingly told her and she suddenly reached to me and smacked me in the shoulder. We ended up chuckling softly. 

"But we're still a couple you know. I'm just wondering whether you feel sad because we don't go out on dates." She explains to me, she's staring at me with her soft eyes which of course made me smile. 

"Mina." I laugh because calling her by her real name would often annoy her. 

"What is it, Son Chaeyoung?" She sarcastically asks me back. 

"You know, the couples that you're talking about don't live together like us." I try to explain our situation to her, I was still massaging her. "Those couples go out on a date because they want to make up for the time that they had lost by being apart, yeah?" I also try to explain what I think about the situation. 

"Can you please press harder?" She complains and of course, I gave her what she wanted. "Damn. Not that hard." She starts chuckling and of course, I start doing my job better. 

"But babe, that doesn't mean I don't want to go on a date." I tell her the truth. "I want that too!" I chuckle, she then gave me this look that made it seem like she's hopeful. 

"Well, should we do it?" She asked me.

"I don't know. Should we?" I ask her back while still massaging her. 

"Well, do you want to?" She stares at her foot. "I wish these idiots would leave us alone for like a day or two, you know?" She jokingly says this. I stare at her for a few seconds and nod my head. 

"Hey, what about when we go to the movies?" I suggest. 

"The movies?" She asked and I knew she was thinking the suggestion was strange. 

"Well you know, It's just a suggestion. We can start from that and like, just see how the night goes." I suggest. 

"I thought you didn't know if you want to go on a date?" She teases me, her eyebrows shrugging. 

"Oh? Alright. No date then." I replied immediately without skipping a beat. She stared at me with those soft eyes, they weren't piercing me tonight and that was when I see her pout. I just chuckle and shake my head as if telling her I was joking. "You've got to take it easy on the dancing, you're practically hurting my hands." I jokingly complain. 

"And I thought you were concerned." She rolls her eyes at me, but I knew she was just being playful. "Well, you know, I think it's going to be an awesome number. You should come and watch me perform." She seemed shy when she said this.

"Honey, I'm in the production team. Of course, I'll be there." I chuckle, still massaging her feet. She then gave me this look and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on my cheek. It was a sweet and gentle gesture that made me smile. Not long after that, we ended up cuddling and falling asleep in her room. 

* * *

The school festival is the main highlight of the school year, well, that's what the seniors say. Honestly, that was such a sad thing to hear and of course, I refused to believe so since I don't really think it's that big. It's just a school festival, right? But since the seniors were really 'passionate' about it, Tzuyu and I had to go check and run some stuff. We need to make sure that things will run smoothly because we're definitely the ones going to be scolded if an error occurs. 

"Promise me one thing." Tzuyu whispers as she's running through her checklist. 

"I've promised you millions of things already and so far I haven't done any of them. Are you sure you want to proceed?" I jokingly ask her as I am checking on the light sequence. 

"Stop cock-blocking me." She chuckles, I then turn my head to her and see her smiling. That's good, I guess? I've noticed she's quite good at masking her emotions. I could never be like her. "Just say play along, damn. You're such a drag." She rolls her eyes at me and of course, I smile at her and nod. 

"Okay, what is it?" I ask her. We weren't really far from each other plus we were the only ones in the room so we can talk however loud we want since no one can hear us. 

"Let's never volunteer to be in the production team next year, okay?" She chuckles while reading through her list. 

"Are you sure you want to do that?" I asked her and that was when I saw this look on her face. 

"You mean to want to volunteer for this shit again next year?" She sounded as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. I just stare at her and smile.

"Oh my god, this thankless job? Hell no." I chuckle my heart out. "But like, think of it this way, we can boss the freshmen around next school year. Isn't that cool?" I chuckle and look at her for approval. 

"Well, you're no different from Haesoo then." She looks disappointed at me and that was when she turned her attention to her work again. 

"Oh jeez, you don't know how jokes work." I roll my eyes at her . "Besides, we'd still be in this club next year. The seniors are graduating and we're basically the ones next in line. We can't just quit." I told her the truth and that was when I heard her sigh. 

"I hate it here." She complains. 

"You're not the only one sister." I reply immediately without skipping a beat while still checking on things that need to be ticked off.

* * *

Tzuyu and I worked for two hours more after that. We didn't really talk much after, instead, we worked and worked and got our tasks done. We wanted to get things over with since we really hated this no good job that even the seniors loath. 

"Are you going somewhere after this?" She asked me, we were at the benches sitting and just doing nothing. I was actually waiting for Mina to finish her rehearsals. I asked the girl if I could go and watch her rehearse but she quickly turned me down because she wanted everything to be a surprise. I mean, whatever, right? I'll just respect her request so that we won't argue anymore. 

"Actually, yeah." I reply. I was a little shy when I said this since I knew she'd ask me about details. I just stared at her and smiled shyly. 

"With Mina unnie?" She asked me directly. Of course, I didn't expect her to ask me that. I had to stare at her for a while and shyly nod. 

"Well, how'd you know?" I ask her, I felt awkward, the thought that Tzuyu already knows what is going on between me and Mina is just so alien to me. 

"Well, you guys are dating right?" She casually asked me this and I just had to stare at her. 

"Yeah. We are." I reply. I wasn't really sure how to talk to her about this. 

"Will you stop acting so awkward? Why are you being so shy?" She laughs at me. I stare at her, confused. 

"What?" I laughed, I didn't really know what to say to her. 

Something in me felt that Tzuyu doesn't care much about these things. Of course, maybe it's because she also understood us since she's like us too. I just stared at her and smiled as this overwhelming feeling of happiness engulfed me. 

"Look, I'm happy for you and Mina unnie." She smiles and pats my back, maybe to reassure me that it's okay and that I don't have to feel ashamed. 

"Thank you." I just smile at Tzuyu. 

"You guys be nice to each other, okay? Don't hurt each other and just be happy together. Alright?" She said this so casually that I just had to stare at her and chuckle. She seemed so wise and old whenever she spoke which made me realize she's actually very mature for her age. 

"Tzuyu-ah." I call her attention, She stared at me, shrugging both her eyebrows in the process. "How have you been?" I ask her. I am actually implying about the night when she burst inside my room and cried herself to sleep on our laps. 

"I've been doing better." She chuckles. "Also, I'm very sorry about what I did. It seemed like drunk Tzuyu isn't the type who can control herself." She laughs and I realize she's been trying to sweep her emotions under the rug and I admit that bothers me. 

"If you're sad, just be sad. Stop trying to put this mask on every single day. Be sad when you need to be sad." I pat her back as a way to comfort her. 

"Thanks." She whispered.

"You don't have to be happy all the time." I tell her this because it's true. False positivity is such a shitty thing and I wish she wouldn’t do that to herself.

We became quiet after that, it only took a few minutes for Mina to walk down the school grounds. She seemed tired but dressed, it's probably in the gym bag she brought with her this morning. I was just staring at her and chuckling at how funny she looked. She didn't comb her hair yet, poor child.

"Looks like your girlfriend is here." She jokingly nudges me using her elbow, I jokingly give her this tough look which I think made me look not harmful at all. Better luck next time, I guess? Tzuyu stands up and greets Mina. "Good evening unnie." She smiles at the older girl. 

"Oh, It's you." She smiles as she taps Tzuyu's head affectionately. " Thanks for keeping her company, she would've been lonely waiting all alone." Mina said this so softly that I couldn't help but smile too. She looked beautiful in her coat. Her hair's down and a little messy, and her cheeks flushed because of the cold air. 

"It's fine unnie, it's no big deal." Smiles Tzuyu.

"Did I make you guys wait that long?" Mina sounds concerned, she stared at Tzuyu and then stared at me. "Tzuyu-ah, do you mind coming with us? We'd like to treat you to some hot chocolate." Smiles Mina to Tzuyu, it's cold after all. 

"Yeah, you should come and join us. It will be fun, I promise." I smile at Tzuyu, trying to convince her.

"And what? Be the third wheel? No way." She laughs and then shakes her head strongly. "You guys should go ahead. I'd rather hang out at home with Nayeon unnie than be with you guys. I don't want to ruin your night." She politely adds. Mina and I just stare at each other for a while. 

The three of us decided that it was better for Tzuyu to ride a cab home. It was cold and we wanted her to be home as soon as possible so before we went to our destination, we booked a cab for her and did all the necessary things to make sure that she's going to be home safe. After seeing the Taxi speed off, Mina and I stared at each other and smiled. 

"To the movies?" I asked her. She smiled at me warmly. 

"To the movies." She replied without hesitation. 

* * *

Honestly, I feel excited and a little awkward about the fact that Mina and I have never been on a date before. Is going to Japan considered a date? That was one expensive flight but I don't think it was a date. But yeah, we've been together for more than a month now and we've never been on a date. I find it strange but also funny, maybe couples do have their own way of being a couple. 

"You love popcorn that much?" Mina asks, this was right before the movie started. I just had to look at her and stick my tongue out.

"Leave me and my popcorn alone, ballerina." I laugh at her as I try to keep the popcorn away from her. She had this sad look on her face which made me give up, of course, I had to give her some right? It's our first date after all.

"Hey." I call her attention. She turned her gaze to me and then I whispered. "Thanks for taking me on a date, it's very thoughtful of you." I jokingly whisper to her. I hear her chuckle.

"Don't mention it, hon. We had to get out of that house anyway. The kids were getting in my nerves." She jokingly replies, implying the kids were our dormmates. 

Mina and I were seated at the far back corner of the theater. It was a nice night since there weren't many people inside the theater, there's probably only ten of us in the theater which is nice since I can talk to Mina comfortably without being concerned for the people inside the cinema. The movie was nice but I always caught myself staring at Mina. I loved how the screen's light reflected on her face, it made her look extra beautiful and delicate. Maybe it's just me, right? Maybe I'm biased, but it doesn't matter. 

"Stop staring." She teases me, she then slowly but surely lays her head on my shoulder. It felt natural, it wasn't the type that made me want to freeze and slow my breathing down. It wasn't the type that made me conscious or the type that made me only think of making Mina feel comfortable. It was more like, I know she's there but that's fine. It felt natural. I even effortlessly slipped my arm and put it around her shoulder. 

"You're not cold, right?" I asked her, my eyes glued on the screen by now. 

"Well, not really." She whispered back. "I'm so glad there aren't that many people here." She chuckles softly. 

"Yeah, there's barely fifteen people in this theatre." I whisper back. 

"Which means I can do this." Mina whispers, and I feel her plant a soft kiss on my neck. All the calmness has left my body when her lips touched my skin, I also can't ignore her sultry voice. How the hell is she doing that? "Right?" She stops and stares at me, my arm still around her, unknowingly I was already pulling her closer to me. I stare at her and just sigh, I feel my body getting warm and for good reasons of course. "Easy, you're pulling me a little too hard there." I see her give me this playful look, a smirk plastered on her face. She's loving how I react. 

"Come here." I pull her close to me with little force. Of course, Mina didn't expect this because she's always thought I'm not into public displays of affection. 

"You're getting a little excited honey, take it easy." She smirks at me, her eyes looking up and down from my eyes to my lips. The cinema is designed to be dim but I could see that she had this excitement in her eyes that I only see in the bedroom. I didn't hesitate and just went in, kissing her right on the lips. Caressing her and pulling her close to me, I'm doing anything in my power to get her all turned on too. Anything for revenge. If she messes with me, I'm going to mess with her. 

Kissing her on the mouth wasn't a big deal, but I wanted to hear her say something so I started trailing kisses from her mouth down to her neck. It was a miracle how Mina just let me have my way, most of the time she isn't like this. Would I take this chance for granted? Hell no. 

"This is uncomfortable." I whisper as I stand up, the cinema's screen illuminated how taken aback she looked. I was standing right in front of her and I had the full view of her face. 

"What are you doing?" She asked me, she seemed careful. Cool Mina has left. I've never seen her this tense before, it's as if she's never thought I could also lead. 

"Why do you think I chose for us to specifically sit here?" I casually asked, we were in the far back corner of the theater. Couples basically sit here to make out. 

"Why?" She sounded breathy. She asked this. Well, it's probably because that was when I decided to sit on her. My legs folded so that I can position myself properly, of course, both my hands were on her cheek specifically because I wanted her full attention. She seemed taken aback, she's never seen me this way.

"To do stuff." I reply and before she could ever say something I go in for another kiss, not minding the people with us since we both know they're too busy watching the movie. After kissing her on the lips, I move down to her neck, not only kissing it but also sucking and nibbling on it as well, making sure I leave a mark. This way, I can make fun of her in the days ahead. She didn't really react much since she knows if she makes a sound, people will stare at us. But because I wanted a reaction out of her, I slyly and carefully touched her bareback using my ice-cold hands and that was when she moaned. 

"Quiet. You're getting loud." I whisper, my lips still on her neck, still sucking. 

"Babe." She called my attention, she sounded breathy but still not riled up. "You know theatres have special cameras inside that record everything, right?" She was concerned which made me abruptly stop. 

"Fuck." I slowly stand up and get off of her, I see her trying her best not to laugh at me. I sadly sit back down to my seat and quietly drink on my coke. "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask her, I was obviously ashamed of what I was doing. 

"It's because you were already so riled up." She teases me, pointing at my forehead for more effect. I just stare at her in annoyance. 

"And I didn't rile you up? You were the one moaning." I whisper back. 

"I know." She chuckles. 

"So..." I trail off. "By any chance, can we continue tonight?" I asked her and that was when she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on my forehead. 

"Maybe." She whispers and that was when I realized that cool Mina was back. Cool Chaeyoung has once again disappeared into the great unknown. 

* * *

After watching movies with her, we decided to go and have dinner. By that time it was almost eleven in the evening but since we were hungry, we didn't really care what time it was. For the right reasons, we've both decided to skip on the alcohol because we both know that we suck at drinking so we'd rather not stumble and have injuries.

"Hey, did you enjoy today?" She asked me this while topping my bowl of rice with meat. I stare at her and nod. I have to admit that today was actually quite fun and exciting. 

"Of course, it was fun." I smiled at her, we were both in the middle of eating our food when she asked me this. "I loved it so much. Thank you." I smile at her, not really sure with what more I should say in order to show her my gratitude. 

"Hey, I'm quite excited to show you our performance." She seemed genuinely happy when she said this, I nod and smile at her. I love it when she gets excited over the things that she does. I love it, especially when she smiles and when her eyes disappear and her gums just get exposed. I love it. 

"I'm excited too. I can't wait." I chuckle. "You've been very nice to me today, I appreciate it. I swear." I smile at her as I place my hand on her hand. She smiled back at me.

"I'm going to be honest with you, okay?" She started and my heart started beating so fast. I just stared at her. "Oh my god, honey. Are you okay?" She tries to shake my hand, I just stare at her. 

"Are you going to break up with me?" I immediately asked her, I didn't want to prolong things. If she were to break my heart, I would rather have it happen right now.

"WHAT?" She immediately replies. "What are you talking about?" She asks me. 

"You said you wanted to be honest with me. What is it?" I asked her, I already retracted my hand close to my chest. I don't know, I feel protected this way. 

"I wanted to talk about Tzuyu, you dummy!" She laughs, her eyes disappearing in the process. I just had to stare at her and give her this unhappy look.

"If you wanted to talk about Tzuyu then you should've said so immediately. Stop making it seem dramatic. I swear to god you're going to give me a heart attack." I warn her like my life depended on it. Then, I see her smile, probably because of how dumb I sound right now. "Okay, so what is it?" I ask her back, trying to steer the conversation where it's supposed to be. 

"Well, you know hon, we've got this gorgeous foreign exchange student from my department." She started off, I was just listening to her and realized what she was doing. 

"Honey." I called her attention, she then immediately turned her gaze to me. "What do you think you're doing?" I ask her, of course, I did my best to not sound harsh. 

"What?" She chuckled, this mischievous look in her eyes showed so much. "She's 21 years old and she's from Hong Kong." She immediately started filling in the details for me. 

"What's all this about?" I ask her. "Are you trying to set Tzuyu up? Is this what's happening?" I shake my head. 

"I didn't say anything like that." She chuckles, the mischievous glint still in her eyes. 

"She just got her heartbroken, hon. Don't play cupid." I try to warn her and then I see her nod. 

"Look, that's not what I'm doing right now. I just want Tzuyu to have a friend from outside of our dorms." She says this in a way that made me believe her intentions were clean. I just stare at her and nod. 

"One question." I start off. "I've got one question." I tell her.

"Shoot." She casually replies.

"Is that foreign exchange junior of yours into girls?" I ask her, she just had this sly look on her face which made me wonder what she's trying to do. 

* * *

Later that night we decided that it would be nice if we slept in her room. It has become our tradition to do so ever since we became official. We would sneakily sleep in each other's rooms and it would be exciting and fun. Of course, we don't get to do this every day since there would be times when we'd struggle to sneak in each other's room since the others tend to retreat to their own rooms very late in the night. Well, we got lucky tonight. 

"Just move in with me already." Mina jokingly says this as she strokes my hair gently. I was laying on her lap with my eyes closed and listening to the music playing on the radio. Mina's scrolling through her phone reading god knows whatever she is reading. 

"Just in case you forgot, we're already roommates." I playfully slap her with the truth. I hear her chuckle. 

"Should we tell them?" She asked this out of nowhere, her fingers still playing with my hair. I had to open my eyes and look at her from below.

"About us?" I asked her, of course, I was taken aback. Not because I didn't want the others to know but because I never thought she'd ever bring this up. "You want to tell the girls about us? That we're a thing?" I might have sounded too happy. I saw her smile at me and that was when she leaned down to kiss my forehead. 

"Of course, you're my girlfriend after all." She smiles at me. When she said this something inside me felt warm and nice. I had to sit up and just stare at her for a while. I couldn't even wipe the stupid smile off of my face. 

"Oh god, I hate how you know to make me smile." I tell her and then I see her put her phone down. 

"Should I make you cry then?" She sarcastically replied. "I was serious when I proposed telling the girls about us. Think about it, okay?" She said this so casually that I just had to stare at her. I don't even know how to reply to whatever she said. 

"Do you want to tell them so that they won't bug us that much?" I jokingly asked her. 

"Yeah, that too. I'm getting tired of trying to sneak in each other's room every other night. What we have isn't a crime, honey." She stared at me for a while and then leaned in to plant a kiss on my lips. Her hands gently caressing my arms up and down, which admittedly turns me on. I softly pulled her close when she started to break away, this time I was the one kissing her back. I was gentle though, I'm doing my best not to rile her up too much. My free hand found its way on her shoulder for support, of course. When we broke off, we found ourselves chuckling but also out of breath. 

"Alright. Let's tell them." I finally agree as I lay my head on her shoulder. I've never felt this comfortable with someone before, everything felt natural with her. To be honest, I never thought I'd feel this at ease with someone. With her, I didn't have to ask for things to be done. She'd always have the initiative of doing things without me having to ask her. It's amazing how she came into my life at the right time. It's crazy how much I've grown to like her more now that we're together. 

They say that home is where you feel the safest. I never thought home could be a person. But I guess I was wrong? A person can be a home. She's my home. Myoui Mina is my home and refuge. 

* * *

**KIM DAHYUN'S POINT OF VIEW**

"You said what?" I asked her. She had this look on her face that suggested that she didn't really care. 

"I said Mina needed her." She said this so casually. I had to stare at her for a few seconds for her to look up at me. "What? Why are you staring?" She asked me this like I was the one that did something horrible. 

"Sana, did Mina say she needed Chaeyoung?" I asked Sana. 

We were both in my dorm since everyone's decided to go out and eat dinner. We were seated across each other in the Kitchen, her elbows propped on the table, and her chin resting on her palms. 

"I mean, not really." She shrugged. I stare at her again for a few seconds. 

"I knew it. I knew there wouldn't be any reason for Chaeyoung to accompany Mina to Japan unless you said something that provoked her." I chuckled and just shook my head. 

"Provoked what? Why would that provoke her?" She had this confused look on her face. "Look, Dahyun-ah. I didn't do that to provoke her. Chaeyoung owed me a favor and when I said Mina needed her I meant that as more of a general thing." She explains.

"Because she is in such a bad position, right?" I asked her back, realizing that Sana does have a point. 

"Yeah, like, when I said that, I meant Mina needed everyone." She shrugged and stared at me. "Why? What's wrong? Their flight to Japan happened more than two months ago. Why are you suddenly bringing this up now?" She asked me. 

"Well, Minatozaki." I smile at her, knowing that what I'm about to say will amaze her. "You asked Chaeyoung for a favor at the right time." I chuckle.

"Why? What do you mean 'at the right time'?" She asked back. 

"You might've unknowingly played the role of cupid between those two." I chuckle. She stared at me for a while, she didn't understand what I meant at first. 

"You mean?" She asked this as she made this hand gesture that suggested the two are dating. I chuckle at her and nod my head. "Holy shit, really?! I did well, didn't I?" She had this smile plastered across her face which made me smile too. 

"Yes, you did well." I tell her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was one fluffy chapter lol


	33. One Step Close (The School Festival)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy the update!

**SON CHAEYOUNG'S POINT OF VIEW**

Over a month has passed and finally, the day that we've all been waiting for comes. It was the School festival in Seoul National University, Tzuyu, Mina, and I had admittedly prepared so much for this festival it would have been a total waste if the other girls were not there to come and see the setup and of course, Mina's performance. It's a three-day festival where clusters or Departments compete with each other. They'd compete with basically anything. Like quiz bees for general knowledge, play sports, and games. It's a fun event that somehow paints the talents and greatness of Students from within the University. And on the third day, the highlight of the event happens. It's a dance competition between departments. Mina and her team will compete for the pre-law department. 

The other girls were kind enough to respond to our invitation. Everyone agreed that they'd come and visit on the third day which is a Sunday. Everything was set and of course, Mina was glad that our friends were going to watch her perform. The smile on her face was lovely when I told her the girls were going. Asking them to come and visit us was worth it, Mina worked hard for this competition and she deserves all the love she could get. 

* * *

The first two days of the School festival seemed like a blur. It was tiring, very tiring. Especially now that winter was over, the sweating has become a thing again. To be honest, it wasn’t that hot since it still wasn’t summer just yet. However, if you belong in the production team, you’re bound to work tirelessly for hours and cold weather would not even help prevent the sweats. 

“I hate it here.” Sighs Tzuyu. We were in the middle of doing something for the Festival. At this point, we were just doing what we were told. We didn't ask because asking will just lead to scolding. We're not credited enough to experience scolding right now. 

"Well, University isn't really a place that people love." I sarcastically reply to her. She shot me this sharp glare which admittedly scared me a little. "Anyway, we should change clothes before the final event." I tell her. 

"What do you mean?" She asked me, we were still walking aimlessly at this point. 

"The dance competition and awarding ceremony will be later tonight, I think it would be a good idea for us to change into fresh clothes." I tell her, hoping she wouldn't ask more questions. 

"Yeah, that would be a nice idea. I don't want to look tired and homeless later." She smiles at me, I just nod at her. I feel so happy that she didn't ask any more questions after that. 

"Yeah, I don't want to attend Mina's event looking like I just worked out." I reply to Tzuyu. 

"Yeah, I just want to look good later. I don't want this thankless job to hinder me from looking beautiful." She smiles at me and I knew then and there, Mina's idea will probably work out. 

Tzuyu and I finished our tasks early that afternoon, of course, it was a busy day which resulted in both of us not having lunch. So of course, we had lunch but not at Sana's workplace though, I didn't even dare to suggest that. I just feel like Tzuyu's been doing well lately and bringing that up would just destroy her, I don't want to cause her pain. She's my best friend, after all, her happiness is my happiness. So we decided to cook at the dorm since we had all this time. It was the senior's turn to take care of the stage tonight anyway.

Since tonight was the highlight of the School Festival, Tzuyu and I decided to shower again, put on makeup, and wear nice clothes. We worked hard for months just so this festival could succeed, we deserve to look good during the highlight of the event! Besides, I just want Mina to smile when she sees me in the crowd during their performance. I want to see her smile, that's all. 

At around quarter to six in the evening, Tzuyu and I made our way to the University. Before going, I made sure to bring some snacks and drinks for Mina. I don't really know if she's the type to experience jitters before a performance or if she's the type who's very laid back. But whatever, I brought her snacks and drinks just in case. When we got to the Uni, I asked Tzuyu to do me a favor and that is to meet the others at the gate while I slip and meet Mina for a few minutes. Tzuyu knew that she's the only one in the dorms that knew about Mina and me, so she agreed and told me to do whatever I had to do. 

Since I was in the production team, I knew exactly where the dancers per department were. Each department was assigned a classroom where they could wait, change, do their makeup, and just anything before their performance starts. As I headed to where Mina's department was assigned, I noticed how crowded the University has become, probably too crowded. Maybe students invited their friends over? Who knows, right? All I know is that Universities become shit storm during Festivals. 

Anyway, I see students in corridors wearing their costumes and makeup and it amazes me how the hell these people got the time to prepare for such an event while studying, taking tests, and breaking down over long weekdays. It just amazes me how much a person can take at such age. 

While clutching the items in my hand, I peek my head through the opened door in the classroom that's assigned for Mina's department. Then I see her, she's always looked beautiful. That's something I know right off the bat when I met her, but something about this look makes her stand out. She looked beautiful in her white tutu, her hair in a beautiful stylish bun with accessories on it, she had her makeup done, and the best thing is her eyes. They made her look so beautiful, the makeup artist did her justice. I was smiling while peeking through the door, I didn't really call her attention but then, just like that, our eyes meet and I swear I've never seen her walk that fast to me. 

"You're here!" She exclaimed when she reached me, grabbing my arm and dragging me to a place that was a lot quieter. It wasn't that far from the classroom though, we just needed to away from all those pesky people. 

"Damn, you gotta hook me up with your makeup artist. You look beautiful tonight." I chuckled, at this point, I was just looking at her shamelessly from head to foot.

"It's rude to stare at your senior like that." She smirked at me. 

"Oh? Is that so? I'm looking at you respectfully though." I raised my eyebrows at her and we just like that, we ended up chuckling. "I'm glad I got to see you before your performance." I see her shyly smile at me and I knew I had to tell her something that would break this tension between us. "Also, the others are already here." I tell her and I saw how her eyes immediately lit up at the information. 

"Really?" Was all she could say, but I knew her heart was racing. I knew she's always wanted this, for the others to see her perform. I nod my head and realize that I almost forgot about the snacks.

"Oh, yeah." I try to steer the conversation by handing her the snacks. "I don't know if you're the type to not eat anything before performances but I just thought you might want to snack." I make it sound casual. 

"Oi, you didn't need to do this!" She tries to give me the snacks back. Of course, I'm petty so I hide my hands behind me and smile at her. 

"Stop acting like a kid and take it." I stare at her. "You've been rehearsing the whole day, God knows if you really ate anything today or not. Just take it." I insisted. She then nodded and before I knew it, she's pulled me to a hug. A tight one which made my face feel hot, to say the least. 

"I love you." She whispered as we hugged. She didn't sound shy when she whispered this. Of course, I was nervous, this was the first time she's ever said this to me. I felt taken aback, I've always thought of that phrase for some time but I never thought she'd say it first.

"Oi, I never thought snacks were the way to your heart." I jokingly tease her, we were still wrapped in each other's arms at this point. 

Then I feel Mina pull away from me. "I swear to God, you destroy everything." She rolls her eyes when she said this. "I just never thought you were this thoughtful, okay?" She seemed to have become shy, probably because I swept her advances away.

"Hey." I call her attention, she then looks up and shrugs her eyebrows. "I'm proud of you. I really am. I don't think I've told you this before but I'm proud and happy to be your girlfriend, you're such a joy to be around with." I smile at her. She just stared at me and I knew she was flustered, I knew she doesn't know how to respond to whatever I said. 

"Minari." I call her attention again. "If you really love me, go and eat snacks. Okay?" I ask her this one last time. I then see her slightly nod, she's gone completely silent now. That was when I suggested that she should go and return to the waiting room. I then accompanied her since it was only a few steps away.

"Thanks." She smiled at me shyly, motioning to the bag of food and drinks. 

"Don't mention it." I smile at her and then motion for her to go in. Without really saying anything back, she waddled her way inside the almost empty classroom where there wasn't really anyone. There were probably three to five other people in there so I decided to just shoot my shot. She was midway across the room when I called her back again, she was quick to turn around and then I smiled at her. She had this confused look on her face which made me smile, she looked cute. 

_"I love you too."_ I mouth these words to her and I can tell she understood what I said. Even though she was steps away from me, I can see how flushed she had become. That was when I decided to wave my hand at her, indicating I was going to have to go away now. 

* * *

Right after meeting Mina, I decided to text Tzuyu and ask her where they all were at the moment. Apparently the others were very hungry so they decided to eat at a food tent inside the school. It was a quick walk from where Mina was. When I got there, everyone was there. They all were dressed so nicely which made me chuckle. 

"Hey, losers." I call their attention. Immediately, they turn their heads around to my direction and without even skipping a beat started signaling me to sit down and join them to dinner. Of course, I oblige and sit with them. Next to Tzuyu specifically. 

"That took long." She whispered, a subtle smile on her lips which made me nudge her a bit. "Are you sure you only handed her snacks? Remember, these corridors have CCTV cameras." She whispers.

"Oi, nosy." I whisper back, trying to stifle back a chuckle. "Shut it or I'll end you." I stare at her and give her a nice smile. 

"Anyway, I think Mina unnie is going to perform soon." She hands me the schedule of the program. I stare at her and nod my head. "We should eat dinner fast so that we can be there. " She encourages me. 

The others were noisy, they were talking about something which I didn't really understand since I was too busy trying to contact Mina. 

"Oi, tell Mina to come and see us before her performance." Says Momo, she didn't really say this specifically to anyone. It's more of a general thought. 

"Is she going to perform soon?" Asks Jeongyeon.

"She's going to perform soon." Chimes in the youngest in the group. 

"Chaeyoung-ssi, can you ask Mina to come and see us before she actually performs?" Asks Nayeon unnie, when she asked this, it seemed like she was teasing me. I can see it in her eyes and that dumb smirk on her lips. If it were only us, I would've given her the evil eye. 

"I don't think I have the heart to disturb her right now, I mean, the program's about to start." I cheerfully reply, but there was a split second when our eyes meet and that was when I gave her a dirty look. 

* * *

It didn't take long for our food to arrive, we ate in peace. Right after dinner, the program started and that was when we gathered at the venue. There were a lot of people inside the Uni that time and because of that, all the seats were occupied the moment we arrived. As expected, the girls took selfies here and there. Of course, they were very loud while talking but it seemed alright, people around us were very chatty too. 

"Is this a normal thing, unnie?" Asked Tzuyu, she was asking Jihyo who's currently beside her.

"What is?" Asks Jihyo back, she's staring directly as the performance. 

"Well, you know, Police officers." She blurts out, this made me look around and realized what Tzuyu observed is true. "They've been roving around today. Is that a normal thing?" She asks. This made the others look around too, probably curious because of what the tallest girl has said. 

"Yeah, of course." Assures Jeognyeon unnie.

"At big events like this, things tend to happen." Starts Nayeon unnie, she's sitting right beside Jeongyeon unnie. She's hugging Jeongyeon's arm. 

"PDA." Coughs Momo unnie. "Too much PDA." She jokingly coughs near the couple which made the others stifle their laughter."But yeah, Police presence is a normal thing in School Festivals so don't think too much about it." She adds. 

The night looked beautiful. The stars are out and the air was cold, it seemed like everyone is in high spirits which made me feel at ease. It's times like this that make me realize that maybe life isn't that shitty. Without knowing it, the Fine Arts department has finished their turn and it was another Department's turn. At first, I wasn't able to identify which department it was but then I see the girls wearing Tutus similar to what Mina wore when we met up earlier.

"It's Mina's turn!" I chime up like a child, pointing at the open stage.

* * *

**THIRD PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW**

When Myoui Mina's department came up to the stage, everyone applauded. It was maybe the elegance everyone exuded? Maybe the beautifully worn Tutu and tights were worn by both male and female dancers. The dancers were given the liberty to create a piece that incorporated both modern and classical dance. Mina and a couple of other dancers studied ballet for some time which everyone in their department found very useful for this competition. So it was decided, ballet and hip hop would be the answer for their Department. 

The eight girls were at the back, just standing and watching as the beautiful performance started. They were at awe because of of Mina's beauty, it was something they knew of but they didn't expect that the girl would look this beautiful when she gets to dress up. 

"You're lucky." Whispers the youngest girl to Son Chaeyoung. of course, Chou Tzuyu made sure that the others would not hear her sentiment. 

"The luckiest." Son Chaeyoung whispers back as she watches her girlfriend dance to the music. 

Everyone had their eyes glued to the performance and performers, Park Jihyo had her camera out. As one of the oldest, she felt as if it was important to record everything. Momo was seated beside Jihyo. Nayeon and Jeongyeon were in each other's arms. Dahyun and Sana seemed close but cautious, they were seated together, eyes glued to the performance. There would be times when their eyes would meet and they'd break the eye contact immediately, the tension was probably too much. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung sat together, this was expected since they were close. 

"I bet she choreographed the ballet dance sequence." Says Sana, she still didn't take her eyes off of the stage. 

"Of course she did, that's our Minari." Adds Nayeon.

When the performance finished, all the girls immediately went backstage. Since Tzuyu and Chaeyoung had access to the backstage, the others were allowed inside which brought great joy to everyone. The moment Myoui Mina saw the others, she ran up to them and hugged them. It was a beautiful moment of friendship. The backstage is spacious, everyone was able to be comfortable. When everyone was settled and done saying hello to Mina, the others decided it was best to go out and wait there. Mina asked Chaeyoung and Tzuyu to stay since she needed to tell them to do something. 

"Oh, Tzuyu-ah." Mina calls the younger girl's attention. Mina didn't wait for Tzuyu to come near her, instead, Mina grabs another girl from the crowd of Tutu wearing people. 

"Yeah?" Asks Tzuyu back. 

"I would like you to meet someone." Smiles Myoui Mina, her eyes shining. Chaeyoung was just there, standing and smiling. Chaeyoung knew what was happening, but she refuses to get in the middle of it. Then, a beautiful looking girl emerged and extended her hand to Tzuyu. Tzuyu immediately extended her hand too, a little hesitant since she doesn't know what was happening. 

"This is my Junior. Her name is Elkie. She's from Hong Kong, I just thought you guys might get along." Smiles Mina, she then walked over to Chaeyoung and just observed.

"Hello, my name is Chou Tzuyu. Nice to meet you." Smiles Tzuyu, gripping Elkie's hand tightly. 

"Mina unnie has told me stories about you. It's nice that I finally got to meet you in person." Smiles Elkie. 

Elkie and Tzuyu then immersed into their own conversation which left Mina and Chaeyoung to themselves. Chaeyoung was all smiles, that was the only thing she could do since she can't possibly kiss Mina in public, but even though things were like that, both of them knew their feelings were genuine and that they didn't need the public's validation to have a good and healthy relationship. 

"So, what do you think?" Mina finally broke the silence between them. The people in the backstage had gone now and there was only the two of them. 

"You did well and I'm proud of you." Smiles Chaeyoung, it seemed like she couldn't really get her eyes off of Mina. "Hey, we should take a photo together. For remembrance." Son Chaeyoung smiled, her eyes shining. Mina found this beautiful and innocent. Both of the girls had to, of course, ask Tzuyu for help. Two photos were taken, one is a normal-looking photo while the other one... 

"Mina unnie, put your arm around her." Suggests Tzuyu. To this, the older girls were taken aback but in a good way. Tzuyu beamed while both Mina and Chaeyoung grew crimson red. "Do it. This isn't a crime." Says Tuzyu, this was to make the couple at ease. "No one is around! Don't be shy." Smiles Tzuyu as held Mina's phone, looking like she was about to take photos. Mina then puts her arm around Chaeyoung and right before Tzuyu finishes her countdown, Son Chaeyoung kisses Mina on the Cheek. This caught both Tzuyu and Mina off-guard. 

"See? She's not shy." Says Tzuyu awkwardly as she gave Mina her phone back. Chaeyoung just smiled slyly. 

* * *

Later that night, the girls have decided to hang out at the same spot where they were watching Mina perform. Of course, this time, Mina was with them. She's changed into more casual and comfortable clothes. Besides, Mina found the outfit uncomfortable anyway. While they were at that spot, they listened to another intermission number by a band. This was supposedly the last intermission number before the actual awarding starts. 

The night was cold and it was getting darker, the mood had become calmer than it was before. Mina stood beside Chayoung, she was listening to the band while subtly tugging at the younger girl's hand, shyly brushing her fingers against Chayoung's fingers is the only flirting that she could do as of the moment. She didn't want to be one step ahead of her girlfriend, she knew Chaeyoung also wanted to tell everyone but right now is not the right time. 

It was quiet and serene. Everyone enjoyed the music, the night sky, and each other. There wasn't much that they wanted right now, they wish they could stay in this moment forever. However, time doesn't stop for no one and soon all of this happiness will come crumbling down. Everyone knew that the moment they heard the piercing shriek of Son Chaeyoung. She was in a chokehold, a man in a hoodie holding the girl like she was a rag doll. Like she weighed nothing. 

Everyone was panicking at this point, shouts, and panicked calls for help can be heard from one of the girls. It all happened so fast, one second they were listening to the band, and then the next minute a man emerges out of nowhere and grabs the girl forcibly. The man moved away, dragging Chaeyoung with him forcibly making the girl choke and turn red. Chaeyoung was coughing which indicated how badly this man is gripping her neck. 

"Please Minwoo-ah." Cries Nayeon out, Jeongyeon was restraining her. No one wants Nayeon to get hurt too. "Please let her go! She did nothing!" Tears were already streaming down her face, she was all red and messy. The moment Jung Min Woo heard this, he fished something from his pocket, opened it, and revealed that it was a pocket knife. Jung Minwoo, without hesitation, quickly positioned the knife near Son Chaeyoung's face which made everyone gasp in horror. 

People were running away from the scene, even the people performing realized what the commotion was all about and stopped playing. 

"Let her go! You bastard, let her go!" Shouts Mina, she was already on the verge of running towards Minwoo but the other girls were also there helping to restrain her. "Leave her alone, you maniac! She's done nothing wrong!" Cries Mina. Jihyo and Momo were quick to call the attention of the police officers nearby. The police officers were there, circling Jung Minwoo and threatening him to shoot if ever he moves. 

"W-why." Was all Son Chaeyoung could say, she sounded raspy and it was getting difficult to breathe. Minwoo wasn't letting this go easily. 

Son Chaeyoung had lots of questions inside her head. She wondered how the police were able to betray them by not giving out the information that this guy was at large, second is how much she's taken breathing for granted, and third is will she be able to see the sunrise up tomorrow? She was scared, and she can see the girls crying and wanting to reach out to them. 

Jung Minwoo only laughs at the girl's question. He couldn't believe he's done this again, being caught. "I don't know. Maybe I want your little friends to suffer too." He whispers, Chaeyoung could smell the body odor coming out of him. She could also smell the stench of his breath. Chaeyoung knew that Minwoo was nervous too and that he was scared of what might happen next. This wasn't the Jung Minwoo she's met months ago, this was a completely different person. He seemed tinner, strong but deranged, and not methodical at all. She had the knife aimed directly at her face, she knew that one wrong move could kill her. 

"One wrong move and we will shoot." Says a commanding police officer. There was a total of three police officers pointing a gun at him, he knew he was outnumbered and that he's got nothing to lose.

"I know I'm going to die." Whispers Minwoo to Chaeyoung, he loosed his chokehold on the girl. But still, he had the knife right on the girl's face, barely touching her cheek. "I don't want to die alone." He declared as he tried to move one step away.

"DO NOT MOVE OR WE WILL SHOOT!" out Shouts one of the three police officers. They still were pointing their gun at him. 

The girls could only watch as the event unveiled, feeling disgusted with themselves as all they could do was watch in terror. Nayeon was already hysterically crying, shouting words of deceit to Jung Minwoo cursing him straight to hell. The other girls kept telling Chaeyoung to not move and just cooperate, trying to comfort their friend that this all will be over soon. But they all knew that they weren't really sure of what they were saying. 

"He's smart. He's using her as a human shield." declares one of the police officers. "I'm afraid the girl might end up getting shot." the police officer whispers this, some of the girls heard this, making Jihyo beg them to not hurt Chaeyoung. She was begging, tears streaming down her face. 

"I don't want to die alone." Minwoo reiterates one more time, whispering this to Son Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung was already in tears, seeing her friends react like this was painful. "I want to take you with me." Jung Minwoo adds, drawing the knife closer to Chaeyoung's face, cutting the girl right on the cheek. Son Chaeyoung just let out a loud 'ah' the moment the knife cut her, that was when the blood started gushing from her cheeks. 

Myoui Mina couldn't take what was happening, in her mind, she only wanted to save Chaeyoung. It was painful, seeing her girlfriend being treated like an animal. She was about to run towards Minwoo when Momo and Tzuyu got a hold of her. The girls were crying too, begging her to think properly.

"Minayah." Cries Momo, they were already on the floor. it was difficult to keep Mina down, but they had to do everything they can to keep her safe. "Please. We don't want you hurt." Cries Momo.

"Unnie please." Cries Tzuyu too. She sounded pained but also restrained. "Please don't do this." Cries the younger girl as she held onto Mina's legs, restraining her from moving. 

"I'm begging you." Chaeyoung was shaking in fear. "I still want to live." She adds, this annoys Minwoo. This resulted in Minwoo to pull her close, aiming the knife directly to her neck. Everyone started shouting and begging at this point, they knew that in one swift motion, they could lose a friend. 

"This way I can take you with me." Jung Minwoo eerily replies, tightening his grip around the girl's neck. 

_Bang._

There was something comforting about how things would become silent when the chaos is unbearable. It's amazing how one ringing tone can make you feel at ease and safe.

_Bang._

When the trigger is pulled, does regret follow? Or is regret something that only exists because people shame you?

_Bang._

Was this really the right thing to do? 

Screams and cries could be heard inside Seoul National University that night, people wanted to directly go and check up on their friend but the remaining police officers have arrived and have come to restrain the girls. These police officers don't want to mess up the crime scene, there was just too much mess. 

With three gunshots, two bodies lay seemingly lifeless on a pool of blood.

Everyone could hear the girls calling out Chaeyoung's name. No response. 

_Is this where it ends?_


	34. Is this how it ends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first-ever POV of Mina btw

**MYOUI MINA'S POINT OF VIEW**

In my head, all I could think about are reasons as to why all of this had to happen? Reasons why this happened to us. Reasons why this terrible thing happened to her. Why her? Is it selfish if I'd wish for that terrible thing to happen to somebody else? Who cares, right? When the world ends up crumbling down, all you have are people who are important to you and yourself anyway. 

There was a split second that was pure silence, it was like time slowed down. I could still remember it, the scene kept playing inside my head. Over and over. Three consecutive gunshots, not more than two seconds apart. It happened just like that and then we heard two thuds. Blood all over the pavement, blood, gushing out of somebody. That was when I fell to my knees, shouting, crying, and feeling like my world had crumbled right before my eyes. I knew it wasn't just me who was crying at that time, I heard the others too but I didn't care. 

"Minari." Jihyo was trying to call my attention, she sounded gentle, her voice still raspy from all the crying that has happened. I didn't want to look at her, I didn't have the energy to do so. I felt drained. "It's all over. You have to go now." She adds, it seems like she's just trying to be rational. 

_But why? Do I really have to be rational right now?_

"No." I tell her, refusing to follow her orders. I didn't look up, I was still looking at the floor. This is the only comfort I have right now, why do I have to give it up? 

"You don't have to stay here. We can come back in the morning." She tries to persuade me. 

Everyone was seated in one row, eyes puffed, noses red, and backs slumped. Everyone was tired of crying. I understood why Jihyo is acting this way, I do. But the thing is, I don't want to go. I want to stay. I can't leave. 

"I have all the reasons to stay right where I am." I stubbornly reply back, my head was throbbing, and my whole body aches. All I want is for these people to leave me alone. Is that such a complicated thing?

"Mina---" I knew Jihyo was about to scold me, I knew. She's like that. Thank goodness someone stopped her from speaking though because I knew in my heart that I will fight back if she insists on taking me home. 

"I can handle it from here, unnie." Says Dahyun in a calm but firm voice. Jihyo knew better than just to insist on taking me far from this place. 

It didn't take long for the girls to stand up and start gathering their things. They gave me pats and hugs before leaving, telling me that they'd be back first thing in the morning. The whole time I was just staring at the floor, unable to process what just happened hours before. Sana was the last one to go. 

"Minari." She called my attention. She sounded sweet and kind, she didn't sound hurried, I knew I had to look up. The moment our eyes meet, I saw her, staring at me, smiling at me weakly. That was when the tears started falling back again, I couldn't hold it in. My eyes have always stung, tears trying to escape, but I held it in. I couldn't let myself cry while the others were around. Sana immediately went in to hug me, in her arms, I sobbed like a child. It hurts. Everything hurts, it was like I couldn't accept what just happened.

"Life is unfair." I sobbed, at this point, I didn't care if I looked ugly. I didn't care, I was hurting too much. Dahyun was there too, she's seated right beside me, her palms on my back. She's trying to soothe me. No one said a thing after that, we just hugged and I cried. I didn't know what to do and Sana and Dahyun comforting me was the only thing that kept me going at this point. 

"Minari, I'll bring you everything you need in the morning. Okay?" Sana said this before she was about to leave. I just nod at her, I was too weak to talk, well. She gave me this brief stare, one last squeeze, and then off she went. I was left with Kim Dahyun. She was seated beside me, all quiet, she had nothing to say too. 

"It's almost three in the morning, unnie." She says this softly. I just stare at her, feeling resentful towards her. She's lucky, truly lucky to have been with Chaeyoung for two years. How the hell did she ever let their relationship fizzle out like that? I feel resentful because I might not be able to spend as much time with Chaeyoung. The thought just tugs at might heart, I feel like shit. When will all this be over?

"It's okay, I don't want to sleep." I knew what she meant when she mentioned the time. 

* * *

There was just silence, a deafening amount of silence that surrounded the hospital halls at dawn. To me, the silence isn't comforting. I would rather listen to something noisy than dealing with all this silence. Too much silence forces me to deal with my thoughts. As of now, I've got too much in my mind. All of this is too much, too much.

"I need to be somewhere right now." I tell Dahyun, she had this look in her eyes that made it seem like she understood me. She nodded, not really saying anything, and then off I went. 

Being in that place was suffocating. I needed to clear my head so that I can process everything better, understand what's happening. I decided to go to the ground floor, to a room where it is mostly silent. To the place that I could think properly. I get inside, close the door behind me, and is greeted by silence. The place had dim lights, no one else was around. It was only me. 

Walking to the nearest seat felt like nothing, it felt I was in a dream. But that's not the case, I am not in a dream. I am here. All alone. I then decided to use the kneeler, all that I can see is that thing on the altar. The cross is illuminated by this dim light and I just had to stare. I couldn't believe I'd actually come down and do this. 

"I haven't seen you in a while." I start off, just staring at the cross. I just felt like I needed to talk to whatever is up above. The cross is the closest thing to a higher being in the hospital right now. I clasp my hands together. "How many years has it been?" I jokingly ask the cross, trying to figure out when was the last time I visited an actual church. 

"Yeah, three years? Three years." I sigh, trying to collect all my thoughts. I just stare at the cross and observe how illuminated it look in this dim setting. "I guess I've been ignoring you all this time." I tell the cross, realizing how I've never really thought about religion for quite some time now. I felt awful, this weird thing tugging to my heart, I don't know. I'm just so confused. 

"You know, I'm not the type of person who would ask a lot." I start off, my voice shaking as I uttered each word. My heart beating loudly, I could hear it. It felt weird inside my stomach like I want to throw up. Both my hands and feet are cold. I just stared at the cross, feeling as if it's the only thing that could understand me. "Ah, am I supposed to pray like this? I've completely forgotten how to, I'm pretty sure there is an order. But you'd understand, right?" I ask the cross, hoping in the slightest bit that it would answer back. 

"Right?" I ask again, feeling like a tiny shred of sanity has already left me. I felt hopeless like I'm drowning, I don't know what to do. 

"People say you're real." I try to talk to the cross like it's a person. "That you listen and understand. That you know what people's hearts want before they realize it." I add, feeling hopeless as I continue to talk to the cross. 

_Ah I feel like I'm going crazy._

"Can you hear me?" I ask the cross, hoping that I'd hear something from out of it. But of course, it didn't say anything back. Nothing. This thing inside me growing and almost consuming me whole.

_RESENT._

It felt weird, everything felt weird. I don't know how I got into this situation in the first place.

"But why?" I ask the cross, implying that I blame the gods above. "Why her?! Why didn't the police do their job right? How the hell did Minwoo escape?! And why Son Chaeyoung? Of all people, why her?" I ask it, feeling like I just wanted to fall on the floor and cry. 

_One tear fell._

"Can you please give her back to me? Please?" I ask the cross, feeling this burning thing inside my chest. It felt painful right in there. It was like I was going to have a heart attack. 

"I've spent so little time with her." That was when the tears started flowing non-stop. I realized how much of a dick I am. I am a terrible person. If I was upfront with her, I would've spent more time with her. 

"I've only started spending time with her. Please." I cry, feeling like I was already wailing. I wanted to curse everything. "Is this where it ends? Is this how our story ends?" I ask the cross, wanting it to answer me back. Hoping that I'd at least get some answers. "How could I have possibly known? How the hell could I have known you'd do this to her?!" 

"She's a good person." My hands fell to my sides, I felt weak. "Please, she doesn't deserve any of this." my voice seemed weak, but it was all that I could do. Cry and ask. That was it. 

"If you're real, please give her back to me." I seemed arrogant, questioning the higher being like I am somebody. But what does a person who is hurting know? I don't know better. My head was flooded with the thoughts of her, smiling at me. I couldn't handle it, I'm scared. I wanted to hold her in my arms, tell her how much I love her. How much I'd give up for her, how much all of this killing me and driving me nuts.

"Please..." Tears wouldn't stop flowing and I liked it better that way. "I can't lose her again." 

* * *

I was awoken by Dahyun at six in the morning, she had this concerned look in her eyes. I was scared why she looked like that, my heart racing, I felt like I was about to go haywire. I immediately sat straight up, not caring what I looked like.

"Did something happen?! Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask her, I almost wanted to cry. I was scared. I didn't know what was happening. 

"No, nothing happened." her expression suddenly softened, she sat next to me. She seemed concerned, she was just eyeing me. Watching my every movement. "I looked all over for you. This was the last place I thought you'd be." It seems like she's trying to be careful. Do I look like somebody who needs to be taken care of?

"Don't give me that look." I know it wasn't right, but I hate it when people make it seem like they pity me. I hate it. I can't stand it. "Stop that. I don't need your pity. I hate people who make it seem like I'm weak." I didn't know why those words came out of my mouth, but they did. Just like that. Those words spilled like water overflowing a fucking dam. 

"I don't pity you. That's the last thing I'd feel for you, don't flatter yourself." She seemed annoyed and rightly so. I'd be annoyed too if I was talking to someone and they'd just go off like that. 

_I'm fucking dumb._

"Go get dressed." She lightly threw a paper bag to me. "Sana made an effort to bring you all that." She sounded cold. She was about to walk away when I decided to talk.

"I'm sorry." I look down, realizing how impatient I was getting. 

"I loved her once too." She said this, she sounded pained too. "You're not the only one hurting. The others are hurting too." She added.

"I know." was all I could say. I knew I was wrong, I wish all of this would be over soon. 

"Don't be like that when the others arrive. Be a dick to me but not to them." That was what she said before completely walking away, leaving me with the paper bag. 

* * *

I got dressed, I knew I had to. I can't be in the hospital looking like a homeless person. Getting dressed took all of my energy, that's how sleep deprived I am, I guess. When I finally get to see Sana in the waiting area, I hurriedly sat beside her. I felt like she was the only one who understood me. 

"An hour more, Mitang." She whispered, I was just sitting beside her. I nodded, I knew she's waiting too. I have been waiting since last night, I miss her so much. 

* * *

"You look so beautiful." I whisper, slowly trying to intertwine our hand together. She was there, motionless. I couldn't help but just cry because of the sight. My thumbs were gently rubbing the back of her hand, hoping that she'd squeeze my hand too. Just hoping. That's all I could do now. 

"I miss you." I try to talk to her once more, I've read this helps. I've read they hear it. I've read they dream about it. "Are you dreaming about me?" I ask her, gently leaning down to kiss her hand. It hurts to see her like this, she seemed peaceful, not lifeless. She looks like she's in a deep sleep. Well, she is in a deep sleep. 

_"The patient is stable now." Said the Doctor, this was right after midnight. Everyone stayed to know the results before going home, we were all shaken when we saw the pool of blood on the pavement. Both their blood mixed, no one could tell which one is which. "Airflow was restricted for quite some time which caused her to collapse. That person might have choked her too hard." When the Doctor said this, he sounded casual. It was like he was reciting words that he'd read from a book. It seemed like he didn't care at all. He pisses me off._

_"But the blood, there was so much all over. Even in her clothes." Says Jihyo unnie, she seemed quite concerned. She wanted answers. We all wanted answers_

_"The patient is lucky, bullets only grazed her right by the cheekbone." Says the Doctor. He seemed bored like he was tired of explaining so much to all these girls. I wanted to confront him, but it seemed like Tzuyu noticed this. I felt her holding me back. "A good plastic surgeon can fix her right up, it's a minor wound. She'll be pretty again, don't you worry." He smiles. It seemed like he was having fun explaining all of this to us._

_"Motherfucker." I whisper, I feel Tzuyu grabbing my hand tighter._

_"Right now, she's asleep and needs a lot of rest. You can visit her in the morning." He said this so casually like he was bored. I stared at him, I didn't know why but when our eyes met, he sort of flinched. Maybe I was staring a little too hard. "The patient's in a deep sleep, hopefully, she wakes up soon." He said this so hastily, walking away in the process._

"Can you hear me?" I ask her, kissing the back of her hand once again. I didn't want to cry in front of her, she might hear me. I didn't want to cause her stress, she deserved that much. "You're brave. You never fail to amaze me, my love." I feel my voice shaking as I utter each word. I wanted to hug her, but this is all I can do right now without hurting her. 

"Please wake up soon?" My shoulders slumped, I was holding her hand tightly. I don't want to let go. I can't let go. "You'll have to get up soon, don't get too comfortable sleeping." I jokingly tell her, kissing the back of her hand again. 

_Silence._

The room was completely silent, Sana and Dahyun were outside. The other girls were still on their way to visit her, all I could hear was my own voice. My own plead. My own regrets. 

"You need to wake up." I try to coerce her. "Your family might arrive soon. You don't want them to see you like this, right?" I knew I sounded stupid, trying to guilt-trip someone who is in the hospital into waking up. I'm foolish. I knew none of that shit will make her wake up, none.

_I just want to shake her awake._

"I love you, Son Chaeyoung." I finally say it again. It was unnecessary, but I wanted to say it. I want her to hear it. "Please. I can't lose you again." I gently put her hand against my cheek 

* * *

At lunch, Chaeyoung's family arrived. I didn't really come and say hello, not just yet. It felt insensitive to barge in and be there as they visit their daughter. The family was there for hours, I knew they'd be here until Chaeng wakes up. Soon, I hope she wakes up soon. Both Mister and Missis Son looked distraught like they haven't slept a wink, I understood. All parents would look the same way, Jeonghoon looked like he just cried. His eyes were both bloodshot, he ignored us on the way inside the room and I understood him. He must be preoccupied with the thoughts of his sister. 

_Please wake up already._

At three in the afternoon, Sana unnie and Dahyun have decided to go home. Sana unnie promised me that she'll give the next to visit food that I could eat. Dahyun didn't really say anything to me, instead, she just gave me this look. I didn't understand what it meant, she's probably warning me of being nice to the others if they visit later. 

The whole day, all Korean social media outlets were blasting. The news about the heir of a certain company strangling and taking a freshman from Seoul National University as hostage blasted, especially in Naver. I hated it. 

"She has a name." I whisper, my fists balled in anger. "How can they just call her a freshman from Seoul National University? Stupid reporters. Stupid news outlets." I whisper once more, I felt like shit. How dare these lowlife news reporters just call her that? 

* * *

I was at the waiting room at six in the evening. Most of the chairs were empty, even the television was turned off. It was quiet, almost too quiet. My head was hurting and I was already starting to feel the exhaustion from the lack of sleep. That was when Nayeon and Tzuyu arrived. They had brought me food that Sana has promised. When they saw me, they immediately sat beside me. I felt comforted. But inside, I still felt hollow. Empty. I felt like something really bad was bound to happen, I was scared. I didn't know how to stop it, the feeling just kept on going inside me. I didn't know how to make it quiet. 

"Didn't I tell you to eat already?" Nayeon unnie sounded concerned, but also frustrated. I didn't know it, but I guess I was becoming very stubborn already. She had this look in her eyes that caught me off guard, this made me eat the dinner they brought for me like an obedient child. 

"What the hell." Tzuyu huffs, this immediately caught my attention. "CEO Jung is going to hold a press conference." She had this dreadful look in her eyes. I was too weak to say something, I just stared at her. I was thankful enough that Nayeon unnie was there, she immediately walked towards the television, turned it on, and switched it to the channel where the press conference is being covered live. 

"Shit, it's trending on Naver too." says Nayeon unnie, she was scrolling through her phone. 

Both Nayeon unnie and Tzuyu seemed concerned for me. They kept staring at each other, probably trying to come up with ways to protect me. But they didn't need to do that, I can endure it. Whatever was going to happen next, I am ready for it. 

_"Good evening everyone." Started the CEO. He's wearing a suit, a black suit. It's a mourning garment. We all knew this would happen today, we knew he would hold something like this. He can't keep quiet, not with all the issues surrounding his family, his company, and his son._

_The camera's flashed, reporters were all over the place with their recorders. CEO Jung is separated from the crowd of shit-eating reporters and paparazzi. Good for him. He doesn't need any of the unnecessary attention especially now that he's lost his only son. He held his hand up, as a sign of trying to make the crowd lower their voice._

_"I will not be taking any questions tonight." He had this stoic look on his face. It was scary, he seemed indifferent. But I understood, if I was in his place, I would probably react the same. Indifferent. Stoic._

_"Tonight, I would like to announce that I am stepping down as the CEO of my company." He said this so flatly that it made me think if Minwoo took after him. "_ _I would like to announce that I am a separate identity, and that the company is not associated with me. Any issues about me do not reflect the company." then he stood up._

_"Things have occurred and happened lately. These things are beyond heartbreaking, I wish to grieve silently with my family. I hope everyone respects that." He still seemed stoic, it looked like he was reading from a cheat sheet."Thank you all for being here tonight." He finished before being escorted outside of the conference room._

"It seems like his father is a nutcase too." Whispers Tzuyu, she was right beside me. I knew she was trying to make the situation seem lighter. But I felt angry, I felt furious because he didn't even mention his own son. He didn't even acknowledge the mess that his own son has created. Son Chaeyoun's in a room here, still asleep, and that asshole can't even acknowledge what had happened last night? 

"I bet he's as terrible as Minwoo was." I whisper to Tzuyu, Nayeon just stared. None of us knew what to say after that, it was just silence. A maddening silence followed. But it was okay because they were there with me. The silence became bearable, I guess. 

* * *

"I can't. I don't think I can do it." I was running my right hand through my left arm, Nayeon and Tzuyu were there standing in front of me. They were trying to convince me to go home, I didn't want to. I'm afraid Chaeng might wake up without me, I don't want that. 

"It's been a day, Mina." Nayeon unnie sounds reassuring, like an older sister. "You need to sleep." She reached out for my arm and I automatically flinched. Then I remembered Dahyun reminding me to be nice to the other girls. 

"I'm sorry but..." I trail off, trying to find an excuse to stay here. 

"Look, even Chaeyoung's family booked a room at a Hotel. You don't have to do this, unnie." Says Tzuyu, I knew she was just concerned. But the thing is, I don't have the heart to leave her. 

I smiled weakly at her as I shook my head.

Mister and Missis Son came and greeted us, they were polite enough to ask us how we were doing. At that point, I had to restrict myself from crying. I had to. I can't let them see me crying, right? They're the ones most pained because of this situation, I can't be an asshole. I politely conversed with them for a while.

It was calming, to talk to them. Seeing them react that way made me feel like everything's going to be fine. 

_But is it really going to be fine?_

"Maybe you're right." I finally surrender. "Maybe I'd go home tonight." I give up, I wasn't allowed to visit her room this time anyway. 

"I promise to accompany you first thing in the morning." Smiles Nayeon unnie, she and Tzuyu then nicely guided me out of the Hospital. Maybe this is for the best, right? Chaeyoung wouldn't want me to be like this. I should take care of myself too so that when she wakes up, I'll be there. 

* * *

_Maybe it was a bad idea._

When everyone got inside their rooms, I snuck inside Chaeyoung's room. I wanted to have a piece of her with me. The moment my nose sniffed her pillows, that was when the tears started falling again, this time I couldn't help it, I just cried. Loudly. I didn't care anymore, everything was just too much. I miss her so much, each tear that flowed made my heart ache more, is this how a person is supposed to love?  
  
Every time I closed my eyes, all I thought about was her. 

"Son Chaeyoung, you brat." I clutch her pillow close to my chest. I was shaking and it was getting harder to breathe, but I didn't care. It feels like I'm dying anyway.

_The pillow._

This was the closest thing I had that smelled like her. "I can't go on without you, please." I whisper to the pillow, thoughts of her flooded my head but one scene stood out. 

_I love you too."_ _She mouthed to me, she had this look on her face that suggested she meant what she said._

* * *

_I slept like a baby._

The exhaustion wasn't there anymore when I woke up, well, Nayeon unnie woke me up technically. She told me to get dressed and that we'll grab something on our way to the hospital. I didn't say much on our way, I was just silent. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. 

"So you can visit her before her family gets in." Nayeon unnie smiled at me, a reassuring smile. 

* * *

"Good morning, it's day two." I whisper to her, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. It's quiet, awfully quiet. 

_I wish I don't have to visit you tomorrow and say it's day three._

"Hey, you can wake up now." I sit next to her, holding her hand tightly. "I missed you." I whisper as I kiss the back of her hand. She looked awfully peaceful like she was sleeping. 

"Oi, woman." I jokingly call her attention. 

_I wish she'd answer me back._

"Stop giving your parents such a hard time, wake up already. Don't you know how much you made them cry yesterday?" I talk to her, I feel a lot stronger now. I don't feel the urge to cry, probably because I sort of accept it already. "This brat." I jokingly whisper and give her the evil eye.

During my stay inside her room, nothing much happened, I was just there for quite some time with her. While we wait for her parents to arrive, I sang her songs just like she liked it. I sang her favorite songs, hoping that she'd wake up because of that. Wishful thinking, I know. But can't a girl hope? That was all that I had right now. 

When her parents arrived, I got out of her room and met up with Nayeon unnie once again. 

* * *

"You know, I wish none of that happened." Nayeon unnie suddenly said this out of nowhere. I had to stare at her, I didn't know what to say. 

"I wish the same exact thing." I tell her. "But, Minwoo would still be at large if none of that happened." I tell her the truth. 

"Someone had to get hurt just to end all of this." She was looking down at this point, I understood. 

Three consecutive gunshots were heard, two bodies fell. One was dead. It was Jung Minwoo. Some reporters said that what the police did was wrong, they said that it was an 'overkill'. I beg to differ. It is a totally different thing when you come face to face with death, Jung Minwoo, I knew he wasn't afraid to kill anyone. I knew he would do something to Chaeyoung. I knew in my bones that people like him will never change. He was a hopeless case. 

"The police fucked up." I whisper. 

It was true, things could have gone differently if and only if the police informed us about the escape. But that's the thing, they didn't inform us, and for what reason? That's something we will never know. Three gunshots, one to the head, one to the shoulder, and another to the neck. The neck. That's where all the blood came from, it was crazy how disfigured he looked. He was dead on the spot, he looked like a ragdoll when the ambulance picked him up and placed him in a body bag. Utter chaos. 

"The system has failed us." She whispered back. 

It was crazy how much hatred came out of me when he died, we were there, we saw his body. Is it disrespectful that I wanted to spit on his dead body? I don't think so. 

* * *

"I miss her so much." I confess to Nayeon unnie, she stared at me for a while. I knew she didn't know what to say, giving me false hope is bullshit. 

"She's fighting, Minari. She is." She replied. "You know, what she went through isn't easy. She went through something so traumatic, it's only been a day. Please give it some time." She tries to explain. 

I wanted to reply something logical to her, but I just didn't know what to say. Maybe there really isn't an answer to this as of now, maybe it's okay to be confused right now, maybe it's okay to not know the answers right now. I just stare at the hospital floor, hoping that everything would be fine tomorrow. But it's a long shot, I guess? 

_I wish I don't have to visit you tomorrow and say it's day three._

I didn't know when exactly, but it happened. I closed my eyes and slept. The emptiness consumed me and for once, I felt happy. There was no more ringing, there was no more heartaches, just silence. I liked it better that way, I wish I could stay like this forever. 

* * *

"Mina-yah." A voice called out to me. My back felt painful like Rhinos had run over me. "Minari, wake up." Somebody was shaking me, trying to wake me up. I just had to stare, rubbing my eyes, trying to focus on whoever is shaking me awake. 

"What is it?" I ask, trying to figure out who was talking to me. "Oh, it's you Jeongyeon unnie." I huff.

"You have to wake up now." She kept on tugging my shirt, I just had to stare at her, now that my eyes have focused, I can see her expression. She seemed flushed like she just cried. My heart then started beating so fast, I stood up, almost falling back instantly. I was so disoriented that Jeongyeon had to hold me, I was starting to panic since no one was filling me in with information. 

"What the hell's happening?" I ask her, hands were shaking and my feet were growing cold. But she didn't need to answer, the moment I turned my gaze behind me, I knew. The surge of Nurses and Doctors walking past each other in such a hurried way must mean something. 

I didn't wait for her to answer, without even thinking, I walked and walked. I saw the others waiting outside of her room and I saw their eyes, everyone seemed to have cried. I couldn't take it anymore, I wanted to scold them for not waking me up. 

"Minari..." Jihyo said this so softly, my heart sank and I wanted to cry. 

"Please calm down." Momo stands up, she was trying to get a hold of my hand, but I flinched. 

"What's happening?" I was distraught as to why no one was filling me in with information. "Tell me, please..." Tears started to fall from my eyes because my greatest fear might have come true. 

"Are you guys her friends?" The doctor came out of the room, then immediately locked the door behind him. I knew Mister and Missis Son was there too, I just wanted to see her. "Your friend woke up and is already in a stable condition. Congratulations." Smiles the Doctor and this was when silent tears fells, they just fell, I was engulfed by happiness. 

* * *

Not more than a few seconds later, Jeonghoon peeks outside of the door and greets us. He then told us that we could come in and say hello, everyone was delighted. We all came in, all eight of us. Chaeyoung's family went outside, probably to give us space, I knew I said I'd want to be the first one she sees when she wakes up but knowing that she's awake is enough for me. 

She seemed weak, but when she saw everyone come in, we saw her smile. Everyone talked to her, greeted her, and told her to get well soon. I was just there, standing, waiting for my turn. My heart was beating, even if I only hadn't conversed with her for two days, I missed her so much. I felt alive again, just seeing her smile made me the happiest person. 

I walked up to her, she had this knowing look in her eyes, the same look she gave me when we first met. The kind of gaze that made you feel welcomed. I missed her so much. 

"You're awake, Son Chaeyoung." Saying her name felt amazing, it felt delightful to finally talk to her. Her beautiful round eyes were eyeing me, she seemed careful. 

"Excuse me, but, who are you?" She asked. 


	35. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, this is going to be a long chapter and when I say long, I mean, 13K words. I know some readers do not find that long enough but I recommend you reading this when you're fully concentrated and ready to really devote your time reading the story. Thank you!
> 
> Also, I know asked some readers to volunteer and help me with this update by beta reading it BUT I sort of changed my mind last minute. I'm sorry, I just felt like it is better if you guys read it fresh. 
> 
> I would really appreciate your reaction, have fun reading!

**ATTORNEY MYOUI MINA'S POINT OF VIEW**

"Yes, mom. I just arrived." I chuckle, she's been jumpy ever since I boarded the plane from Tokyo to Seoul. Typical. She's always been like this, worried, concerned, and just so kind. A mother. "You don't really have to worry about me, mom. I told you, the flight went well." I smile, she has always been attentive. 

"I'm just making sure, honey." I knew, I just knew she was smiling when she said this. I can imagine her face, my mom, she's an amazing woman. 

"Yeah, I know mom. I totally understand you." I tell her this because it's true. I understand her now, I didn't know all I needed was a few years in order to understand. 

I was walking through Incheon airport, with my phone in my hand, and my luggage on the other hand, I know it's going to be a long day. Well, at least I'm home. That's the only thing that made me happy, being home. Years ago, if you'd tell me that I'd call South Korea as my home, I'd laugh at you. I'd say that would be impossible because there is no way in hell that would happen.

_Jokes on me, I guess._

It's been more than a decade since I lived here, many things have changed, many things. 

"Hey, mom. I need to cut the call now. My cab's here." I huff, I didn't want to cut the call but I need to be somewhere right now. "Yeah, maybe I can call you guys later?" I ask her. 

"Okay, maybe if I'm not busy." Her kind voice soothes me, I miss her. 

"Alright." I smiled, my hand holding the handle of the cab. "If we're not busy." I get inside the taxi and cut the call. 

* * *

It's almost three in the afternoon, and regrettably, I still haven't had my coffee. I've been busy the whole time while I was in Japan since I wasn't there for family, I was there mainly for paperwork. But it was nice that I got to visit my parents, my brother, and his family. My niece was so adorable and my nephew was definitely such an energetic little boy, but it's nothing I couldn't handle. It was nice, quite refreshing too. I missed Japanese food, I can't really get good Japanese food around here. Besides, it's more convenient to eat Korean food for me now. 

"That'll be ten dollars." Says the cashier. I had to look at her again. 

"Jesus, iced americanos used to be three dollars." I whisper to myself, I didn't want to seem rude to the cashier, she seemed young, nervous, and probably a newbie at work. I pay and smile at her. With the drink in my hand, I stroll the streets of Seoul like I owned it. I miss this, all this walking. I barely get to do this since work requires a lot of time and attention, besides, that's not the only thing I'm busy about these days. 

The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot. Good thing I decided to drop my luggage at the home, shower, and then go out. I'm lucky today's a free day for me, it's not every day that I get to enjoy some time for myself. 

"Good god, that's good." I whisper to myself the moment I took the first sip from my drink. A caffein-addicted lawyer, that's how my co-workers describe me. Well, I think it's true. All lawyers are caffein addicted, how else would we survive this toxic work environment without the help of this liquid energy called coffee? I mean, coffee keeps the monster in me well-behaved. 

Anyway, it's funny how I ended up being a lawyer here in Korea. Well, that was bound to happen when I chose to study here anyway. But my parents kept on encouraging me to go home and practice law in Japan. They didn't even care if that meant I needed to study and understand Japanese laws. They just wanted to see how things would go. My family wanted that, especially my mother. But I declined. I couldn't possibly waste more time on studying, can I? Besides, at the time, I just wanted to start working already.

_I was so young and goal-driven. Now, I'm just goal-driven._

It was heartbreaking for my family to accept that I chose to live in a foreign country, of course, they had expected that I would return to Japan and be there with them. They expected I'd finish my master's degree in Japan, marry someone there, have a career, and build a family. They expected many things, to which, one by one I politely didn't do. 

Things just happened, I guess? I mean, my parents weren't wrong when they asked me that. Back then, I didn't have that much to lose anyway. I had so little to bring with me if I ever really decided to go back to Japan, unlike now. Maybe that's why mom has never asked me to go home and study in Japan in the past ten years. Now, I have so much to lose. My parents understand that I've built a life of my own here in South Korea.

I pause when I reached my destination, I don't go to this place often. But I follow my instincts and go to where there were quite a few people. I bowed slightly to them and smile at them. They seemed a little taken aback, stunned even. Is it because they don't see me often? I have the right to be here too, you know. What's up with these nosy people?

"Excuse me. By any chance..." A woman slowly approaches me, she seemed friendly...Too friendly, she's definitely the type that talks about her friends behind their backs. "Are you new here? We've never seen you before." She was careful, trying to show off this friendly demeanor. Her friends were behind her back, obviously throwing me this fake friendly stare and vibe.

_I've encountered lots of clients like you, maám. You can't fool me. I know the type._

"You seem awfully young to be here, miss." Says one of her friends, her hair was in a bun. She was wearing clothes that don't fit her. Maybe she wants to be comfortable? I just smile at them politely. To be honest, I don't want to engage in conversations with them. 

"Thank you. I don't come here often, that's all." I timidly answer then, wishing they'd just let it go. I felt awkward, not really sure how to socialize outside of the work. "I work most of the time, that's why." I answer them immediately, trying to avoid any more conversation with them. 

_Shit, I'm bad at this. I should learn more._

After talking to them, I pretend to scroll through my phone to avoid conversation. It felt like I was standing there for quite some time, maybe it was because no one was talking to me, but it was okay. I prefer it that way, I don't like engaging in conversations with people I do not of anyway, the act is such a foreign thing to me. Just as I was about to look up, my eyes meet them. One of the reasons why I had so much to lose if I left South Korea. 

"Mommy!" Exclaims Woo-Jin, a bright smile plastered on his lips. "Yunho-ah! Mommy's here!" He almost hit his twin brother on the head, as usual, Yunho was spaced out again. It scares me how much this kid takes after me, even the little blank stare he does sometimes gives me the creeps. 

"Mommy!" Yunho who was running behind Woo-jin finally let out a tiny scream, the two boys running towards me. At this age, kids really are full of energy, I'm just glad they're done with the terrible two's stage, that was really something. 

"Oh, how have you guys been?" I asked them, both of them clung to each of my legs. I couldn't help but chuckle, it's amazing how these little brats make me smile. "Eomma missed you both so much." I smile, feeling their weight as they were still clinging to my legs, looking up at me with those round eyes. "Should we pick up your older sister too?" I ask them, they nod in sync. 

"Yeah. We should do that, right?" I ask them, I need someone to help me look after them anyway. "Maybe we could go for ice cream after picking noona up? Eomma missed you guys so much." That was the magic word, ice cream. That was all they needed to hear so that they'd get off of me and drag me out of that Daycare Waiting shed. Of course, I had to wave at the other mothers goodbye too. I didn't want to make it seem like I didn't have manners. 

* * *

"Mom, I'm starting to regret asking for siblings." My fifteen-year-old daughter gave me this look, she seemed so bothered. She couldn't help herself from trying to clean her little brother's mess. "Woojin-ah, do you have a whole in your chin? Why do you keep spilling ice cream?" She seemed stressed, trying to wipe the mess off of her brother's mouth. 

The scene made me smile, my daughter grew up so much.

"Aera-yah, take it easy." I smile at home she stared at me, she seemed indifferent to my comment. She just kept wiping Woojin's chin. Aera, my fifteen-year-old daughter is my carbon copy. She looks exactly like me when I was fifteen years old but unlike my son Yunho, she's the exact opposite of me attitude-wise. She's a lively kid, a social butterfly, and she's tough. She's quite an outspoken girl too, she's not timid at all. It's amazing how I was able to produce a kid who looks like me but isn't me at the same time. 

"Mommy, I wish we could do this often." Says Yunho, he was eating quietly the whole time. He'd only speak to his twin at times about stuff I didn't understand at all. He was sitting right beside me, without even thinking about it, I put my arm around him and pulled him close to me. I didn't really know how to respond to his request, I just felt guilty that most of my time is spent at work.

"Yunho-ah, mommy's working so that we could eat delicious food and go to good schools." Aera smiled, leaning in to touch her younger brother's chin. To this, Yunho smiled, it was like he forgot why he was sad a few seconds ago. I smile at Aera, she's a thoughtful kid.

"Anyway, mommy will make it up to you guys." I tell them. "When school's out, we can all go to Japan together and visit your grandparents. We can visit your uncle Kai so that you guys can meet your new baby cousin." I try to make them feel better. Aera's face lit up at the information, she smiled and nodded her head. Sometimes I forget she's still a kid. The twins were minding their own business, talking about legos and things I'm too old to understand. 

* * *

After hanging out at the ice cream shop with the kids, we all decided to go home. It was a Friday night after all, and it was considered a rest day for the twins. So after dinner, I allowed them to watch television in the living room. However, Aera was approaching High School so she's working double time on her academics. As a mother, it's hard for me to look at her suffer like this. Most of the time I'm not at home and this was the first time I've ever witnessed how hard she's been working, it amazed me. 

"Honey, don't you want to take a break? I've heard you've been experiencing nose bleeds quite a lot lately." I was standing behind her when I said this, my hand on her chair. She didn't bother to look up, she just shrugged and sighed. 

"Eomma, was it difficult for you too? You know, when you were trying to get in High School?" She looked up, and thought about how I was supposed to answer her question. I walked over to her bed and sat down, thinking really hard.

"Well, you know, it was difficult too but I wasn't as stressed as you are." I huffed, trying to remember my high school days. 

"What does that even mean?" She gave me this nasty gaze as if telling me what I said made no sense. "Anyway, was High School fun? What was high school like for you, eomma?" She had this hopeful look on her face. 

"Well, eomma went to an all-girls school Catholic High School in Japan." I start off, her eyes brightened. 

"Eomma, I want that too." She was all smiles when she said this. I had to look at her for a few seconds.

"Aera-yah, it's better for you to go to a mixed High School. That way, you won't experience culture shock when you enter University." I tell her the truth, she had this pouty look on her face.

"But what if I really want to? You'd allow me, right?" She asked cutely. I had to smile at her, she's a cute kid, charming.

"Well, then, we'll have to look into our options. Alright?" I tell her, she smiled at me and nodded. 

"By the way, eomma." She starts off. I had to stare at her again and nod my head to indicate that I am listening. "I appreciated that you picked us all up from school today. I know how tired you are since you just got back from Japan. But anyway, Woojin and Yunho were both so happy, would you ever do that again? It would be nice if the five of us did that once in a while." She smiled, and that was when I realized how much my kids missed me. 

"The five of us? Yes. I'd be delighted to do that sometime." I stand up and give her a light pat on the forehead. "Study hard, tiger. Maybe we can discuss your plans for High School sometime? Three of us, alright?" I add and then got out of her room to give her some alone time.

* * *

When I was successfully able to put the twins to bed, I went to my room and showered. It already ten in the evening at that time, and even if I was tired, I admit that it was difficult for me to fall asleep so I decided to video call, Kai, and my sister-in-law. Good thing is, they were able to answer the call and we were able to chat for some time. 

_"So, have you enrolled the twins to Japanese language Schools yet?"_ Asked my sister-in-law, I nodded at her.

"Yeah, both Woojin and Yunho have started to learn Nihongo already." I reply.

 _"How old are they again?"_ Asked my brother who was right beside my sister-in-law. They were in bed, just talking to me casually. 

"They just turned five, same age as Aera when she started learning Nihongo." I tell them the details, they were eagerly listening, or so I thought they are. "Anyway, you guys are back to zero again with that second baby. You guys getting any sleep?" I ask them, they just shook their head. They seemed sad, I just laugh because the feeling is all too familiar. 

When we had Woojin and Yunho, sleep was a luxury. At the time, the last time we had a newborn was ten years prior already. Unlike Aera, Woojin, and Yunho were colic babies. The fact that we had identical twins meant double the trouble, but we're all past that now, thankfully. Now, Woojin and Yunho are in Kindergarten and each day their personalities become more noticeable and different. 

Woojin is an active kid, very social, and loves sports. He's a little ball of energy that needs the proper guidance in order to reach his full potential. I started noticing this when they were still toddlers, Woojin loves to socialize with people and he was a chatty kid. On the other hand, Yunho takes after me. Now that he's growing up, I'm starting to notice little expressions and mannerisms that are from me. He's a soft-spoken boy, who's very gentle and observing. When he was a toddler, he was more warry of people, I mean, he didn't necessarily cry around people but he preferred being around me. 

_"You're alone again? You just got back from Japan and you're sleeping alone?"_ Asks Kai, this made Nako lightly hit him on the head. He flinched and gave his wife a blank stare. 

_"You even leave me to sleep alone sometimes! Do you hear Mina complaining about that?"_ Nako seemed embarrassed for my brother but I just had to laugh it off. _"People need to work, Kai. Love won't be able to put food on the table."_ Added Nako.

"Sister-in-law is right, stop being so nosy." I roll my eyes at him, then suddenly, we hear their newborn baby crying. The noises were all coming from the baby monitor, Kai gave me this dreadful look to which I just had shrug off. "It's going to be okay, Kai. You can do it." I laugh at him and that commenced the end of our video call. 

* * *

That night, I slept alone. I knew when Kai said that, he didn't really think of how I'd feel. But whatever, right?

"We all live different lives." I whisper to myself, feeling that the bed indeed is too big for one person. 

* * *

On most days, I have to report to work on Saturdays. Since I took the time off yesterday, I opted to wake up extra early, prepare breakfast for the kids, and eat with them and then go to work after. 

"This is new." My only daughter stifled a chuckle, I've always known when she's being sarcastic. She's my daughter after all. "Good to see you this morning, mom." She had this look in her eyes that just came off as mischievous. 

"Are the twins awake yet?" I ask her as I place the food on the table. "Well?" I ask her again, this time I looked up. She was already sitting down, staring at me blankly. 

"The twins don't wake up until ten in the morning, mom." Maybe she expected me to know all this, but I just had to stare at her. The sunrise seeping through the curtains, it seemed like it was going to be a good day.

"Is that so? Well, looks like it's going to be only you and me then." I smile, placing a piece of meat on her bowl of rice. "Eat well." I add. 

Aera has grown up a lot, and day by day, I feel like I'm missing out on so much. There we were, sitting down and eating breakfast. We were talking about School and random things, it was all good, I still had quite some time to spare before heading out for work. 

"Eomma, how many people did you date until you finally settled down and got married?" Her question caught me off-guard, I knew questions like this would come, but I expected she'd ask me this stuff when she's already in University. 

"Why are you suddenly asking me that question?" I ask her. "By any chance, are you seeing someone?" I ask her, hoping that she'd say no because good lord my daughter is too young to date someone at the young age of 15. No way. 

"Eomma, I know you're used to interrogating people and answering questions with questions." I never knew she was this smart. She's got my brains, I guess. "But, I'm growing up and I've got lots of questions inside my head, you're always busy and the twins are too young! They don't understand me at all." She complained. 

_A daughter needs her mother after all._

"Well, answer my question first. Are you seeing someone?" I ask her. "It's okay, eomma just wants to know!" I try to convince her once more.

"I'm not dating anyone, you guys have forbidden me to do so. Remember? Not until I get into University." She gave me this nasty look. "Whatever that means..." She whispered. I had to stare at her for a few seconds, I wasn't really sure where this was going. 

"Eomma liked people when she was in High School and in University." I answer her. "But, dating wasn't really my thing." I smiled at her, trying to recall the past was blurry and quite burdensome. 

_The past is in the past, I have my children now and they are all that matter._

"Well, in that case, who did you like the most?" She asked me, I had to stare at her. I didn't know what to say, I wasn't prepared for questions like this. "Someone must've stood out, right? One person." She said this so casually while eating some of her food. I can't believe that my own daughter is making me nervous with all these questions. 

"Oh my goodness. You really want to get to know eomma that much, huh?" I leaned in to ruffled her hair, she nodded. "Well, maybe I can tell you stories next time!" I smile at her, I realized it was almost time for work already. 

* * *

I wish there was a guide or a book that taught parents how to answer their Kid's questions. There should also be categories and degrees as to how difficult the questions are. Who says parents become parents the moment their kids are born into this world? No one. Because the truth is, even at this age, I'm still learning lots of things about parenting. They grow up every day and they develop their own beliefs and views.

There is so much I need to learn about my kids. Especially Aera. She's grown into such a curious kid. 

Typing and clicking, you'll hear that all over the law-firm. When lawyers are not working with clients, they are in their offices. This job involves lots and lots of paper works, lots to fill-up. When you're a lawyer you're supposed to be detail-oriented, everything needs to organized, your papers, thoughts, arguments, defense, and all that shit.

"Shit, should I just quit while I still have a few years going on for me?" I whisper to myself, I was mid-way in typing another paperwork. I stare at the cursor just blinking away, it looks so stupid. Maybe because it was mid-day or just because the keyboard sounds were just so consistent that it felt like a lullaby, but I, Attorney Myoui MIna lost herself in her own thoughts. An image of a girl I once knew popped inside my head, beautiful, young, and ball of energy and sunshine. 

_I remember the first time I met her, I just got back from Japan and we were expecting new roommates. Everyone was huddled around me, asking me questions about my travel. I was there, listening to my then roommates ask me questions, and of course, I answered them one by one. I was there when two new girls caught my attention. The shorter one got my attention more, probably because of the way she's just shamelessly staring at me. I had to chuckle, could be she be more obvious?_

_Plain Looking._

_That was how I saw her the first time. She wasn't noisy back then, she was just a shy kid trying to introduce herself to her new roommate. All the other sounds were drowned out, I didn't really want to listen to their questions. There she was, staring like a child._

_“Oh! These are our new roomies. This smol bean here is Son Chaeyoung. That Tree over there is Chou Tzuyu.” Said Sana, I remember her casually pointing at the new girls simultaneously. I couldn't help but smile at her, she seemed shy but eager. I reached my hand out to her, and that was when she smiled at me very sweetly. I can't forget that smile._

_"Hello, Chaeng. My name is Myoui Mina. You can call me Mina unnie." I remember telling her this. I casually ran my fingers through my hair too, and that was when I asked myself, did I just flirt with the new girl?_

_The next day, the older girls decided that it was cool to have dinner together. I can't remember much but I knew I sang during that thing. I knew, right before the music played, I kept trying to get a hold of that new girl's gaze, but then I realized she was sitting with Momo. And then, when our eyes met, she innocently mouthed the word "FIGHTING" and that made me wonder if she was flirting with me too._

_______

_To be honest, at the time, I told myself that all we had was this friendly flirting thing or whatever they call that. That was it. At 22, I told myself that dating this newbie is a big NO for two reasons. One, I liked someone else at the time. Two, we were roommates. The thought of still living with her if things went south was just impossible. I knew I wasn't going to allow that._

_But life doesn't go our way, right? Flirting, so much flirting happened between us. Tension, whenever we conversed, I'd feel it. Until the tension became unbearable. The tension was finally released when we kissed at Jihyo's rest house. Then, she said..._

_"Mina, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” She seemed genuinely sorry as if kissing me was such a bad thing. I wanted her to hold me, but no, she just moved away. I felt like shit. At the time, I should've just laughed it off. But I was moody back then._

_"Is that all you can say? You’re sorry?” I immediately replied. I remember._ _“Leave me alone.” I was one angsty motherfucker in my early twenties, that's for sure._

_______

_After that, things started to fall apart in our dormitory. Jung Minwoo. I can still remember his face. It may have been years, but, I can still remember everything. The girl, Chaeyoung, we started off very rocky. It was like we never had a rest and it felt like we weren't meant for each other._

_BANG._

_I can hear it ringing inside my head._

_BANG._

_Traumatising. Everything after that night was awful._

_BANG._

_I still have nightmares about it. I do._

"Attorney." A voice brings me back to reality. I jolt up, realizing I've been reminiscing way too much. "Attorney Myoui, are you okay?" the intern inquires me once again, she had this concerned look on her face.

"I'm okay." I nervously replied. A burst of unnecessary laughter came out of me. The intern then smiled at me awkwardly, probably thinking how awkward this middle-aged woman is. Fuck. "It's uh..." I turned my phone on and checked the time. "It's one in the afternoon already, I'm going to head out now." I nervously smile at her, picking my things as fast as I could. I need a break. 

"Work hard, Kiddo." I awkwardly pat the top of her head before getting out of there. Genius.

* * *

Before going home, I stopped by a coffee shop. I needed my americano. Today overwhelmed me, for sure. The weather seemed nice, and the cafe that I visited is sort of hippie. You know, the type that not everyone visits but amazingly serves you good coffee? Yeah, that type. I just like places like this, it's more peaceful than your local Starbucks coffeeshop. As I enjoyed my iced americano, I received a text message. 

**_From: Mini-me, Aera 💕_ **

_-Eomma, are you going home soon? Yunho_

_and Woojin want fried Chicken. They've been_

_blabbering about it ever since they woke up._

_Can you please bring some home?_

**_To: Mini-me, Aera 💕_**

_-I'm on my way home, darling._

_Do you want anything else?_

_Something sweet?_

**_From: Mini-me, Aera 💕_**

_-Eomma, I don't like sweets._

_Just_ _bring me whatever_ _. I don't care._

_**To: Mini-me, Aera 💕**  
_

_-Okay, I'll bring you_

_whatever then. Do you like peaches?_

**_From: Mini-me, Aera 💕_**

_Strawberries, eomma._

**_To: Mini-me, Aera 💕_**

_K._

"This kid." I chuckle to myself as I enjoyed the view outside. It's amazing how calm everything is in my life right now, steady, happy, just...Still. I see a group of University students outside, laughing, and just teasing each other. Oh, those were the days. Sleepless nights, studying, partying, goofing around, waking up from a bad hangover, and then magically bouncing back an hour later. 

"How the hell did time fly by that fast?" I ask myself, then, I realized that it wasn't only me who had aged. Everyone did. My mom, my dad, my brother, and even my friends from the dorms. It really is true, time stops for no one. It feels like it was only yesterday when the girls and I were in the same place as these University students. Now, we all have our own lives. We're still us but with more to lose, I think. Once we lived together, now, we're living completely different and separate lives.

It's funny how unexpected things happen to people. They say it's always the ones you least expect that would shock you. Almost two years after the accident happened, when both Sana and Dahyun finally were able to graduate, everyone chipped in to give them a graduation gift. In my mind, I was thinking of maybe treating them to dinner, but, Jihyo and Jeongyeon unnie had the brilliant idea of sending them off to Las Vegas. Yes, we all chipped in to send them to have a vacation in Las Vegas.

_I know, looking back now, I still think it was a terrible idea._

Back then, Jeongyeon and Nayeon were celebrating an anniversary? I can't quite remember. Anyway, the reason why both the oldest wanted to bring Sana and Dahyun to Las Vegas was that the tickets were on sale. Anyway, as you all know, many things happen in Las Vegas. With all the gambling, shows, fun, and of course, Alcohol, it would be so easy to just act on instinct. 

**_2022_**

_"I never wanted to get married to you, anyway!" Kim Dahyun shouts at the top of her lungs. We knew she wasn't the type to shout unless frustrated or provoked. Anyway, she seemed drunk and really out of it. We were in the middle of drinking and eating, everyone in the table stared at her, our jaws dropped. Sana just stared at her, she was drunk too. She was seated together with her current girlfriend, her arms around the girl. I can't quite remember that girl's name since that girl and Sana broke up two weeks after the commotion._

_"What the hell is happening?!" Asks Momo, she was confused as ever. She literally had to put her food down to listen. Everyone in the table was becoming extremely noisy now. It has been days since they got back from the Vacation. Is this the reason why no one really said anything about the trip? Did the older girls instruct them to shut up? They probably thought they could figure everything out on their own._

_Sana was there, sitting, not saying anything. She just stared at Kim Dahyun. At the time, we never understood what the hell was going on. "I'm too broke to book a flight back to America and get a divorce! I can't do anything about this and I hate it. I hate all of it." That was the first time we've seen her cry. She sounded pained, and that was when Jeongyoen and the other older girls took Dahyun away._

_"You guys are fucking married?! What the hell were you guys thinking?!" Exclaims Jihyo. I remember that night ending early and the two not speaking to each other for days._

**_Present Time_ **

It's just a funny story now, it's something we just look at back and laugh. Besides, Sana and Dahyun ended up not divorcing, which was an amazing thing itself already. Now, they're both living in California with their two children, one adopted and one biological. Sana has become a licensed dermatologist while Kim Dahyun owns and runs her own chain of convenience store. Even though they started off very rocky, and it took them a very long time to get together, when they decided to settle down, they just stuck like that. I'm happy for them, I really am. I never expected they'd end up together. 

* * *

"I'm home!" I greet everyone when I arrived home with food. You know what they say, kids greet the food first before greeting their own mother. There they were, Woojin and Yunho jumping up and down because they were excited to see Chicken. They're not excited to see their own mother. 

The twins were chanting the word chicken, I was tired so I just placed the whole box on the table. Aera was there too, she seemed bored. "Let's eat?" she asked before completely ignoring my response as she got plates for everyone. 

"Have you been nice today? I hope you didn't give your sister a difficult time." I place each my hands on top of their heads, ruffling their hairs. 

"Would it be a normal day if they didn't drain me?" Aera shrugged, placing all the plates on the table. She's starting to whine again.

"Don't say that about your brothers." I try to sound stern, Aera just shrugged. "Woojin-ah, Yunho-ah. Can you please be nice to your sister." I also ask the kids to do the same thing. 

It was a good afternoon, all in all. The kids behaved pretty well and when they finished eating, I allowed them to play with the video game consoles. I don't usually let them play because of course, studies first. Also, they are still kids so I really think it would only be right to restrict them of this stuff. The twins were too happy to leave Aera and me by ourselves. That was okay too since I find talking to my daughter quite lovely. 

"You went to the same University as auntie Jihyo and uncle Daniel, right eomma?" she asked me this so casually, I shook my head.

"Auntie Jihyo and Uncle Daniel went to different Universities." I correct my daughter. "But I was dormmates with Auntie Jihyo for a long time. Why are asking this all so suddenly, by the way?" I ask her, my daughter had this indifferent look on her face. 

"Auntie Jihyo called me. She asked me to remind you about the brunch next week." She had this bored look plastered all over her face. "Funny, right? She complained you rarely answer your phone." She laughs at me.

"Eomma has just been very busy with you and the twins." I tell her, I knew Jihyo was right. I rarely answer my phone and I'm just too preoccupied. 

**_2023_**

_Everyone knew this would happen sooner or later, we actually expected that these guys would get married first. At this point, Kim Dahyun and Kim Sana (She introduces herself as MInatozaki Sana when she's out), were still working on some things. From what I remember, they still were a little awkward at this point but forced themselves to be friends for the sake of Jihyo and Daniel._

_But anyway, Kang Daniel finally grew some balls and asked our dearest Park Jisoo the question. Kang Daniel wasn't the flashy type of guy, according to Jihyo, he kept it simple. They were having dinner at Daniel's place, and then, he asked her. Just like that. Simple._

_During their wedding, all their friends were there and of course, family. It was solemn since they only invited people who were close to their hearts. We all knew that at the time, Jihyo was too young but Daniel promised her that the marriage will not hinder her from reaching her dreams._

_As she walked down the aisle, people clapped and people cried. I could still remember it like it was yesterday. Growth. That was the first time we all realized during the wedding. We all realized that we were growing up and that soon, we will all be apart. Was I sad when I thought about it? A little. But I knew this was all for the best and that this is how everything is supposed to be._

_"Congratulations, Missis Kang." We greet her when she visited us at our dinner table. That night, she looked beautiful, elegant, and amazing._

**_Present Time_ **

Jihyo and Daniel were technically the first ones to get married for real in our group, they were the first ones to have children too. "Anyway, I think auntie Jihyo is a cool pre-school teacher. She's way prettier than most of the pre-school teacher here in Seoul." Says my daughter. 

"True." was all that I could say.

"I mean, all my aunties are pretty." She shrugged, this made me nod my head. I guess we were pretty during our prime. We're all old now, so, youth isn't really on our side anymore. 

"Anyway, eomma." She calls my attention. The background noise from the videogames the twins were playing can be heard even in the Kitchen.

"Woojin-ah, Yunho-ah. Please turn the volume down, alright?" I call their attention. With big smiles on their faces, they turned to me almost in sync and nodded their heads, turning the volume down moments later. "Why, Aera? Are you still curious about who eomma like the most?" I ask her, she seemed hesitant but I see her nod at me timidly. 

"Eomma..." I start off. "Eomma likes Aera, Yunho, and Woojin the most." I answer her. She had this look on her face that suggested she wasn't going to take this kind of answer.

"I mean, like dating! Who did you like the most among the people you have dated in the past!" She seemed eager, I had to just smile. 

"Well." I try to formulate a way to tell her the story without making it too complicated for a fifteen-year-old girl like her. "Eomma met someone back in 2019." I start, I am still a little unsure of how to relay the story to her. I am scared and a little hesitant as to how to tell the story to my daughter without making it completely destroying my image in her mind. 

_Because in that story, I was such a villain._

**_2020_ **

_Screaming, there was a lot of screaming. I was crying, tears flowed like my tear glands were trying to make fun of me. Inside Seoul National University, Police were circling two bodies laying on the concrete, blood all over the floor. There was a surge of fear that struck me the moment I saw flood gushing out of Jung Minwoo's body. I knew she could have been hurt too. Son Chaeyoung could have been hurt too. At the time, I just never knew the severity of the accident._

_"CHAEYOUNG-AH!" I cried, using all of my energy to shout and wriggle out of the grasp of both Momo and Tzuyu. They were too strong, I was there, on the floor, wriggling and trying to have my way. "CHAEYOUNG!" I call out again, tears flowing out of my eyes. This time, I knew, it was serious. I couldn't hear anything from her. The fear of having her gone from my life consumed me. "SON CHAEYOUNG ANSWER ME!!" I tried my best to wriggle once again, this time successfully getting out of their grasp. Quickly I tried my best to run to her and see how she was, only to be tackled by the others._

_"Minari, please don't do this. You might hurt her more, please." Cries Momo, I couldn't help it, I felt so defeated._

**_Present Time_ **

"Can't you describe more?" She asked. She seemed frustrated about how little information I'm giving her, I had to chuckle. 

"Well, we've still got tomorrow. Why don't we continue this discussion tomorrow?" I ask her, all these flashbacks...It's giving me a headache. She seemed disappointed, but I knew she's an understanding kid. "Eomma needs to work on some stuff, you can play with your little brothers if you want to?" I tell her, she had this blank stare. It felt like she was staring through me. 

* * *

The kids weren't really up for home-cooked food during the evening, so I decided to order pizza and just chill. I know that's irresponsible parenting but what can I say? Giving them pizza is way easier than cooking them something. 

"The kids are growing up way too fast. Aera is starting to ask me questions that I never even asked my own mother." I sigh, sipping from my wine glass. It was already night time and I've decided to sip on some wine to help me fall asleep faster.

 _"God, it's funny how you gave birth to that kid, gave her all your features, and then Aera turning out as your complete opposite. She's like Mina 2.0. Sassy Mina."_ Says Nayeon, they were eating dinner while chatting with me. They probably had lots of customers today, they seem tired. 

_"I know, it's really weird. When we visit you guys in Seoul, and we'd see her, she would give us this tough stare. And the way she talks? She's not soft at all."_ Laughs Jeongyeon.

"I know. The kids are just maturing way too quickly, I just feel like I'm missing out on so much." I confess. I never thought I'd feel like a shitty mother, but now, I feel like I am. I barely have the time to talk to them and I feel like I don't know them.

 _"Hey, Minari. Who said mothers are supposed to be perfect?"_ Asks Jeongyeon, she's eating in between pauses of our conversation. 

_"Yeah, Jeongyeon's right. We understand your struggle, I mean, you're doing a great job raising well-mannered kids."_ Adds Nayeon. _"Look, you work long hours on the weekdays, sometimes on weekends too. I don't understand why you blame yourself. Your kids turned out well Mina."_ She tries to console me, I had to smile. These idiots really are my best friends. 

_"Look, if I were, to be honest, it baffles me how you have the energy to take care of three kids. Nayeon and I barely have the energy to be the perfect parents to Byeol."_ Says Jeongyeon, I had to stare at her and nod my head. 

_"She's right. One time, she got teased at school for having two mothers. You know what I told her?"_ Nayeon asked me. The story intrigued me. _"Tell her what I said our daughter, honey."_ She casually orders Jeongyeon who was half-way into finishing her soup.

 _"She said..."_ She trails off, trying to wipe her mouth. _"Byeol-ah, you're almost in fourth grade now. If you get in trouble for punching that kid in the face, I will vouch for you."_ Says Jeongyeon rather proudly, shooting Nayeon this smile. 

"Oh god." was all I could say. 

_"I mean, what kind of mother encourages their child to punch people in the face?"_ Asks Joengyeon. 

"Honestly, it's the ignorance in the countryside that just makes my blood boil. If we were living in Seoul, I'm sure there would be bullying too but not like this." Sighs Nayeon.

 _"Thank god Byeol doesn't take after her mother. If she ever did, she would've gladly knocked that bully out."_ Jeongyeon had this blank look on her face. 

Same-sex marriage became legal in South Korea in the year 2025. It was a long and difficult fight. There were a lot of supportive people in my office, said nice things about the then bill. But when it became a law, true colors emerged and I knew who really had my back. That year, I was still scared, a big coward of what life is going to be for me in the future. 

**_ 2025 _ **

_"Why are you consulting me?" I ask them, realizing, the reason why they dragged me to dinner. They even promised to buy me dessert and coffee after. "I mean, I'm still trying to get my masters." I whisper, they had to stare at me for quite a bit, I knew they were a little flustered with the way I replied._

_"Since, the law just passed, we would like to ask for a consultation." Says Nayeon softly. She seemed shy about the whole thing, I just had to stare at her for quite some time._

_"Minari, you know, dinner and dessert is definitely under your fee. But we promise to make it up to you!" Says Jeongyeon._

_I just had to stare at them, I was happy but also a little skeptical because I just feel like they were moving too fast._

_"We want to get married." They say this in a very in-sync way. I knew. They didn't really have to tell me. The moment they got inside the restaurant with their flashy rings, I knew something was about to go down. I just nod, they didn't really have to explain things to me. I knew someday this would happen, and I'm more than happy to be of help to my closest friends._

**_ Present Time _ **

Many things happened in the year 2025. At the time, everyone in our friend group has already graduated and have moved out of the dorms. The news about same-sex marriage rocked our friend group as well. Some questioned Nayeon and Jeongyeon about their choice of getting married. By some, I mean none other than Mrs. Kang Jihyo, their closest friend. She was so direct and very blunt about things.

Because of the news, somehow, Jihyo acted a little harshly saying things like how can two women possibly build a home. A big fight happened during dinner time. Nayeon and Jeongyeon asked her why she was being homophobic all of a sudden. After that, people stormed out of the venue. The three of them didn't really talk for years after that commotion happened. 

_"God, do you remember when the first time we saw Jihyo again was on our daughter's first birthday?"_ Asked Jeongyeon, she had this wide grin on her face. _"I never thought we'd make up after that big fight at the restaurant."_ She chuckled. 

_"Yeah, we were so hurt back then."_ Chuckles Nayeon, reminiscing that night.

I know the story, and I know Jihyo was just an added factor to their aching hearts. The night before the dinner happened, the couple came out to both their parents. They asked for their parent's permission to get married. Let's just say both their parents immediately wanted to disown them, saying they didn't want 'dykes' in their families. 

Because of that, the two of them got together, packed their stuff, and moved to where Nayeon's grandmother lived. Halmeoni has passed already, but the couple couldn't forget her kindness and acceptance. With the little amount they've saved up from their corporate jobs, they decided to build their own business in the countryside; a bakery/restaurant. I remember everything like it was yesterday, the struggles both of them went through. Nayeon and Jeongyeon suffered a lot because of their decision to get together. One of the hardest parts was conceiving their only daughter, Byeol. 

They almost experienced bankruptcy just to have her. All the visits in the fertility clinic, all the tests, all the stigma, and the nonexistent support of both their parents almost broke them apart. But then, Byeol came. That little girl brought luck to their home, she was like this little glue. She brought everyone together. Of course, it wasn't perfect. Arguments still existed but at least, both sides of their family are now civil and can eat in one table during gatherings without saying foul words. It's great, I'm happy for them.

The only thing they had to do now is actually get married. Maybe it was because of the hurtful words and stigma back then? Maybe also the pressure and preparation, but somehow, Nayeon and Jeongyeon never got married. They wear their rings proudly, and I wish there would come a time when they would finally celebrate their union. 

"I'm proud of you guys." I smile at them, they've come so far. I couldn't imagine experiencing all the trouble they went through. 

"Look at you, you're being all sentimental and shit." Says Nayeon casually, because of this, Jeongyeon had to lightly smack her on the arm. 

"Our daughter's asleep, and no cursing inside the house. She might copy you." Warns Jeongyeon, because of this I just had to chuckle. We're old now, who would've thought we'd discuss stuff like this someday?

* * *

Not more than an hour after video-calling Nayeon and Jeongyeong, I had to put the kids to sleep. I mean, only the twins since I've let Aera have autonomy over her sleep schedule. If she wakes up tired the next day, it's not my fault since she did that to herself. That's one parenting hack I learned from my parents. Maybe when the twins are a little older, I'll impose that on them too. 

* * *

That night, I had a dream. Even though it was a dream, I knew that it was something that had happened. In my head, I knew it was something from my memory. When we had the twins, we sort of expected that they would progress just like Aera. However, Aera said her first words early unlike the twins who started walking first. Between the two, Yunho was the first one who started talking. 

As I said, Yunho favors me more. He's a mama's boy. His first word? Eomma. 

In my dream, we were in the living room. Aera was only starting to become a smart-mouth by then, she was only eleven anyway.

_Love._

There was so much love in our home, especially that the twins were here. We all were clapping, cheering Yunho for blabbering. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was to boost his confidence.

"P-pa." Out of nowhere toddler Woojin blurts out. Everyone's attention was now directed to him. Saliva dribbling out of his mouth, I can hear Aera laughing loudly. 

"What was that, Woojin-ah?" I ask him, trying to make him say it again. I was also chuckling at this point. 

"Woojinnie~ Our Woojinnie~." Aera coos the youngest, Yunho was in my arms. It seemed like he was also intently listening.

"P-pa." Woojin says this again, clapping his hands together in the process. "Appa!" He shouts, revealing his growing baby teeth, drool coming out of his mouth. We all were laughing and clapping in the process. It was amusing and funny. 

_"It's that show, you know, The return of Superman."_

Then I woke up. 

* * *

"Should we go to Han river and have a picnic?" I ask them my kids, it was a Sunday and there wasn't really anything to do at home. When I was younger, I would pick sleeping in on Weekends, playing video games, reading books, watching movies, and eating good food. Basically just staying at home. But now that I'm a mother, I need to do my best to make my children's childhood memorable and wonderful. I can't be selfish, can I? Besides, I think it's going to be fun. 

Aera was in her pajamas just staring at me, she was probably shaken with how I'm getting so involved lately. The twins, of course, happy about the offer were jumping up and down.

* * *

Since it was the weekend, the place is crowded. Before finding a spot, we had to rent things that we would use for the day. Anyway, we got there when it was probably two in the afternoon. The good thing is it wasn't hot outside, if it was, it would have been a total deal-breaker. 

Since we were spending some time outside, instead of letting the twins play with gaming devices, I opted to bring storybooks with big illustrations. The original idea was to bring a ball. Good thing my daughter was there to remind me that bringing a ball might lead to accidents. 

At around four in the afternoon, the younger ones started to fall asleep on the mat. So that left me and Aera awake, just doing our own thing. 

"But Eomma." Aera calls my attention. I had to look up and ask her what the matter was. "I saw that coffee shop, you know, the one you're saying that auntie Tzuyu runs?" 

"Yeah? What about it?" I ask her. 

"One is being constructed in our area, have you seen it?" She asks, I shook my head. "Well, we should go there during the grand opening!" She offers. 

"That's a wonderful idea, honey." I tell her, placing my phone on the mat to not hinder us from conversing. "Auntie Tzuyu's real successful now, huh?" I ask her, she smiled at me and nodded her head. 

It was amazing, our youngest is reeling in thousands of dollars because of her coffee shop franchise. It was like yesterday when I met her, she seemed so timid. But now? We can't even reach her. 

**_ 2037 _ **

_After five years of marriage with her Husband, Chou Tzuyu has decided to divorce Millionaire Tycoon Dylan Guo. This was the headline of the news article that we all found online. We were in shock, to say the least._

_At first, everyone in our friend group couldn't believe it. It wasn't something that we heard directly from Tzuyu since at this point, it was difficult to talk to her since she is a very busy businesswoman running their family business. We were only able to know of the news through Social Media. We all felt awkward reaching out to her since it has been some time since we conversed with her. Her husband, a wealthy businessman wanted his wife to help him so badly to the point we sort of lost contact with her. For us, that was such a sad thing but it's something that happens._

_In the months prior to the divorce, our friend group always asked "Do you guys think our youngest still thinks of us?" And then we would just laugh it out. We weren't aware of the situation she was really in since she's decided to slowly cut our connection._

_We weren't really sad when this happened, we all knew there must be a reason as to why the divorce has to happen. Something in their relationship must've gone sour. But the good thing was our youngest was able to take custody of their two-year-old son at the time. She can throw her ex-husband anyway, but not her child. We were happy enough about that at least._

** _Present Time_ **

We all decided it was time to go home at around five-thirty in the evening. We also stopped to buy groceries on our way home since we were running low on food and I want to cook them home-cooked meal since I've only managed to feed the kids fast-food over the weekend. The twins were asleep in the backseat while Aera listened to music, it was calm and serene. I loved it this way. 

When we got home, I allowed the younger ones to play video games while I asked Aera to help me prepare dinner. She was so nice about it. We conversed about things, about her plans for High School, funny things that happened last week, and just anything. It felt nice to talk to my daughter like she is my best friend. 

"But Aera, do you think it would be a good idea to enroll the twins to ballet?" I ask her, hoping she would answer me honestly. She had this nonchalant look on her face while slicing the vegetables. 

"I mean, if they like it!" She answers me. "To be honest, I think going to ballet classes would be a lot better than just doing that." She points at the twins playing videogames. I had to chuckle. 

"Think about it, you started going to Hip-hop classes when you were five. If your brothers turn out to have the same dedication as you, then I'd have a family of dancers!" I chuckle. She smiled at me. 

"If we lived in Japan, do you think you guys would have still enrolled me to a dance class?" She asked, now concentrating on chopping the vegetables. I had to smile because the answer is yes. 

"Yeah." I snicker. "I would've put you in your aunt Momo's class. I'm pretty sure she's as good as your dance teacher now." I chuckle. "Maybe even better." I hype my friend up. 

_**2034** _

_Hirai Momo, she was the last one to get married among all of us. Right after graduating, Momo worked for corporate companies in South Korea for years before deciding it was time for her to go home in Japan. It wasn't a surprising decision because we knew it was going to happen one way or another. Not more than a couple of years since she moved back to Japan, we all received an invite to her wedding. We all were in shock since we weren't aware she was dating anyone at all. But I guess that happens, right? Anyway, I couldn't forget that day because my only daughter fell sick on the day of my supposed flight._

_I knew in my heart that they would understand._

_Momo got married in Hawaii, she's always told us that she wanted to get married there. I felt sorry, and l felt like a total asshole for ditching her wedding. But my then five-year-old daughter needed me and I know if I went to Hawaii, I will just constantly think of her. I didn't want to ruin their wedding, so instead, I sent her a video of me giving her a heartfelt message. I knew the video-greeting wasn't enough but luckily, because Momo is such an understanding person, she never made me feel bad about my decision._

_ **Present Time** _

"Did you know your aunt Momo worked in the corporate world here in South Korea before becoming a dance teacher?" I continue. My daughter was just there, chopping away, not really listening anymore.

Momo and her Husband do not have kids, we all know it is a sensitive topic for her. So as much as possible, we do not send that much content about our kids in the group chat, we don't want her to feel bad. We all know that they're both trying to conceive, but according to her, hubby does not agree with the idea of conceiving their child in the lab. In other words, the husband thinks they shouldn't visit a fertility clinic. 

She's got a stubborn husband, I guess. 

After talking about her aunt Momo, Aera didn't really say much. We just prepared dinner and then called the twin's attention when dinner was ready. The dinner was okay, maybe a little messy because of the younger ones but all in all, it went pretty smooth. 

"Did you enjoy this weekend?" I ask my daughter.

"Yes, I surprisingly did." She smiles while piling the dishes and placing it all on the sink. 

"Surprisingly?" I ask her, a little taken aback because of the word she chose.

"Well, I don't get to hang out with you a lot." She turned to me. "Come on, Mom. I got to talk to you. Also, I got to know a little about you." She shrugs. 

"Well, it was cool to know you too." I pat the top of her head lovingly. 

"So will you tell me more about that person you met in 2019?" She smiled, it was like I was looking at a mirror. 

"Jesus, you won't give up will you?" I ask her, chuckling in the process. 

We both decided to sit down. We were seated across each other, in the kitchen table. Our chin resting on our palms, elbows propped on the tabled. The noise from the living room can be heard in the kitchen. We specifically chose to have an open kitchen, through that our home would seem bigger and spacious. 

"What do you want to know?" I finally give in.

"Anything random, really." She shrugs, making it seem like this conversation wasn't really that big of a deal to her. Something random? Anything? Anything at all? Alright.

"That person, once said the lamest joke." I tell my daughter. 

Aera seemed a little confused, she seemed like she wanted to say something or maybe ask something. But then, we hear the front door sensors alarming us that the door is opening. I casually stare at the door. Aera also paused, waiting. The silence was followed by footsteps, then the twin who was in the living room suddenly paused. Woojin being like the kid that he is, dropped his controller when he saw who just came in. 

"Papa!" He giggled, running towards the door and jumping. That was when I heard Aera laughing loudly, I knew she was the instigator of this. 

"Did you teach him that?" I ask her, trying to stifle my laughter. This has always been our inside joke even since Woojin said his first words. 

"What?" She chuckles, shrugging in the process. "Since they've started leaning Nihonggo already, why not teach him?" She laughs.

"You know how much your mother hates that." I try my best to sound strict, but failing ultimately. 

Then the both of them emerged, Woojin in her arms. Yunho was now silently tip-toeing his way to receive his hugs, but then failed because Woojin got dibs first. Yunho then decides he's just going to hug her leg, tightly like a leech. 

"Son Woojin, is that how you greet your mom?" She huffs, Woojin knew what he did. He just chuckled, falling into his mother's shoulders. 

"Eomma, I missed you." Yunho's voice is tiny, Chaeyoung had to look down and realize that someone had already clung to her legs. Aera stood up and retrieved her mother's luggage, placing it on the sofa. I was just there, watching them. 

"Welcome home, mom." She smiles. However, she stared at me. She seemed disappointed.

"The kids are already flocking over me and you're just there staring at me? Woman, I haven't seen you in over a week. I demand that you come over here and give me my kiss." The kids broke apart, Woojin demanding to be put down because they're probably grossed out at the attempt of affection. I walked over to her and gave her a warm hug. 

"You guys have been together for the longest time and you still act like you guys just got married." Aera seemed grossed out, I can see it all over her face. My wife and I couldn't help but chuckle. "That's whack." she adds, clearly showing the disappointment in her voice. 

* * *

"So what was it? The joke?" The twins were already fast asleep, Chaeyoung helped bathing them and tucking them to bed. I was sitting beside my wife, in front of us, is our daughter Aera. 

"What joke? What were you guys talking about when I was away?" Son Chaeyoung seemed curious. She wasn't used to getting left out of the conversation because it's usually me who gets left out of the conversation because I'm too busy with work. Chaeyoung is the one who spends more time with our children. 

"Eomma said she liked someone in 2019 and she said that the person she liked was a corny person." I don't know whether it was the way she phrased it or how my wife reacted but the situation was too funny I couldn't keep a straight face.

"Aera-yah, I met your Mina eomma in 2019..." She sounded so hurt. I had to pull her close to me and kiss her on the top of her head. "Be honest, was I really corny?" She sounded like a child. 

"Ugh." Aera wanted to make it known that she hated public displays of affected. 

"The corniest." I chuckle. 

_**2020** _

_I walked up to her, she had this knowing look in her eyes, the same look she gave me when we first met. The kind of gaze that made you feel welcomed. I missed her so much._

_"You're awake, Son Chaeyoung." Saying her name felt amazing, it felt delightful to finally talk to her. Her beautiful round eyes were eyeing me, she seemed careful._

_"Excuse me, but, who are you?" She asked._

_The moment I heard her say those words, I felt my knees instantly turning into jelly. Tzuyu had to rush to me to help me up, I couldn't believe what I was hearing._

_"Oh my god, honey. I'm just kidding---" I instantly turn my gaze to her and see her trying to get up, the others trying to scold her saying that she shouldn't be moving. I was just there, staring at her, my eyes full of tears. Son Chaeyoung had the most guilty look on her face. "Oh my god, baby. I'm so sorry it's a joke." she tries to make me feel better._

_"Honey?" Asks Jihyo. "And then now you call her baby?" Everyone in the room suddenly caught on._

_"Are you guys?" Asks Momo, she seemed so confused. She was pointing at us back and forth. "Oh my god." She covered her mouth using her palm._

_"Fuck, you guys exposed yourselves alright." Says Nayeon throwing her hands in the air. I_ _was just too stunned, traumatized of all the things that had recently happened. I was too afraid to lose her, I couldn't really express how upset I was because of her stupid joke._

_"That wasn't funny, you asshole." I wiped my tears as I try to stand up._

**_Present Time_ **

"Wow, mom. That was messed up, how could you have thought that it would turn out great?" Aera was just spitting bars at this point. "Mina eomma is right, you were corny." She chuckles, looking at me indicating that she approves. 

"Oh god, it's scary how much she takes after me." Chaeyoung whispers to me, I had to smile. 

"Ugh, I think I'm going to call it a night. I'm done with all this lovey-dovey stuff." She makes this face at us and then proceeds to walk out. Chaeyoung and I were left chuckling to ourselves. 

"God, she's just like you." I mutter under my breath, standing up. "C'mon, woman. We need our beauty sleep, we're not getting any younger." I smile at her, offering my hand in the process. She smiled, holding onto it. 

* * *

"Thank you." I whisper under my breath, I then leaned in and placed a light kiss on her forehead. Everything felt natural. Like home. She's my home. 

"Looks like someone's is getting sentimental." She teased me, she had this teasing look on her face, I just smiled. 

"No, I'm serious. I spent the whole weekend with the kids and realized how well you've raised them." I tell her the truth, she had this smile that suggested she was happy.

Son Chaeyoung, my lovely wife, owns her own antique shop and she also works as a freelance artist for this company. We had part-time employees looking after the shop and there would be times when she's the one who would tend to it. This meant, she had a lot of time compares to me and it was decided that she's going to be the one looking after the kids.

"God, you've worked so hard raising them all these years." I wanted to cry but it felt like I didn't need to do that. It felt nice, and I'm so happy everything worked out between us. "I'm so lucky I married you." I whisper, then I hear her chuckling like what I said was wrong. 

"You didn't even want to marry me, you ass. It took you almost ten years before you asked the question." She sulked. 

"We didn't have enough money back then, idiot." I reply, laughing as I reminisce all those years ago. 

_**2026** _

_"I just feel like if we continue being together, I might not have the family I've always dreamed of. I might not get married, I'm just...I just feel like at this point I'm only one who wants that." She whispered, we just finished eating dinner, she's been slyly trying to talk about marriage ever since same-sex marriage became legal in Korea. Most of the time I would just chuckle and pat her head, I didn't know it offended her that much. But at the time, I just wanted to be more stable, I was wanting to get this promotion that would enable us to move into a bigger place but I just get sidetracked._

_There was one time when I came home to her preparing me a cake, with icing decoration saying 'congratulations on your promotion' on it only for me to tell her I didn't get the promotion. It hurt me because I wanted more and it felt like I wasn't giving her what she deserved. At the time I knew she was just doing her job, I knew she just wanted me to be happy but we were stuck in a dead-end._

_We weren't moving._

_"Stop this nonsense." I replied without skipping a beat, slamming the cutlery on the process. She was startled, I've never been this aggressive before but at the moment all I could think about was how tired I was about everything and how unfair it is that she's bringing all of this right now._

_"This is not the life I want for myself, Mina." She was already crying, tears fell from her eyes. I just stared, I didn't know what to say. "It's been six years since we started dating and we're not moving at all. We're stuck, you have to at least admit that." She slowly crept her hand to mine, wanting to probably hold it. I quickly flinched._

_"_ _What are you talking about?" I knew what she was talking about, I was just too afraid to admit it to myself. "Son Chaeyoung, what are you trying to say?" I remember sounding really panicked because I knew where this conversation was going._

_"When you go home, you act like you don't see me." She says this so firmly that I had to clench my jaw. "When I bring up marriage you chuckle and then proceed to another topic. I don't want that much, Mina. All I want is an answer. Do you know why? It's because an honest answer would at least give me a clear picture of where I'll be at ten years from now." She sounded so hurt, and I just wanted to hug her. But, she was right. We do not want the same things and it feels like we were starting to grow apart at this point._

_"I don't think I can give you want you want as of now." I huff, admitting defeat. I just wanted to be honest with her, getting married and exploring our options in order to have a child isn't something I can do right now. I just felt empty, I felt like I was chasing empty goals. I could still remember the way she looked, she seemed extremely hurt. There was an uncomfortable amount of silence between us. "But please, I can't lose you right now." I beg, looking down at the floor, wishing she would cut me some slack._

_"Let's break up." She calmly says this. "I feel like we're not growing as individuals anymore, I think it's better for us to break up." She reiterates herself, she stands up, and then that was it. I could remember sleeping on the couch that night and waking up to an empty house in the morning. No more Son Chaeyoung._

**_Present Time_ **

"But I honestly think we did the right thing back then." She comments, trying to remember that one time we broke up and didn't talk to each other for more than a year. "I mean, during that period, we were stuck. We weren't growing. Plus, you have to admit, you also explored your options during that time." Son Chaeyoung gave me this mischievous look.

"Oh god, Woojin and Yunho look so much like you." I chuckle, trying lightly to push her face away from me. 

"Of course they would look like me, I conceived them. What do you expect?" She sarcastically replied.

"But hey." I call her attention, trying to steer the conversation back to where it's supposed to be. "I met people during that time and it made me realize how good I had it with you, made me get my head out of my ass, and work towards my promotion so I could win you back." I jokingly tell her my side. 

"Is that so?" She laughs. "I was basically a housewife to you at the time, I hated it so much that all I did was wait for you to come home. I knew I needed that, I knew I had to do something to be more than that." She seemed pained as she tried to remember.

"And I was so proud when I found out you got that job at that Studio." I smile, trying to remember the whole thing. "I was happy for you even though we weren't together at the time." I tell her the truth. 

"I guess that thing was really meant to happen, right?" She smiled, turning her attention back to her phone.

_**2027** _

_We saw each other again at a lesbian bar, at the time it had been more than a year after we've broken up. I thought I already had moved on from her, I always told myself that the single life was the best type of life...but when I saw her dancing with all those girls, it broke me. That was it, that was the clear sign that I had to get her back. I felt like I wanted to kick those girls away from her, it was strange how it felt like she was still mine._

_It was crazy, I remember immediately unblocking her on all my social media and contemplating whether I should message her or not. That was when it was revealed that she constantly checked whether I've already unblocked her. Admittedly, I was the bitter one about the break-up. On the fifth day of contemplating, I received a message from her and that was how we slowly reconnected._

_"I do not think I could see myself marrying someone else other than you, Chaeyoung-ah." I cry, holding her hand trying to win her back has been the hardest task I've dealt with lately. "I've...Son Chaeyoung, we've gone through so much together. I don't think I can spend the rest of my life with someone else other than you." I've been trying to woo her for over three months now, today, this Vacation in Bali is the last thing I'd do before I actually give up._

_She was just there, wide-eyed, unable to speak. I knew what that look meant, it meant she's about to cry._

_"Spend the rest of your life with me, please?" I ask her._

_"Yes." She cried, pulling me close to her._

**_ Present Time _**

It was amazing how everything just sort of clicked after that. We got married when I was thirty while she was twenty-eight. I decided to keep my last name because it was a big part of my identity in my career and we both believed that the important part of marriage is getting together and celebrating our love for each other. We both decided to keep our own surnames. 

A year after that, we decided that it was the right time to have a child and that was when we had our only daughter, Son Aera. We both decided that I was the one who was going to carry our first child, we thought that it was best to have the IVF treatment here in South Korea since we couldn't really afford traveling out of the country and losing days of work. I could still remember it like it was yesterday. 

We both have admitted that we thought we knew what true love was, but then when we met our child, our perception about love changed drastically. That was when we knew we weren't kids anymore and that this was the marker of the beginning of the new chapter of our lives. 

"I love you." I remember her saying this to me when the doctors placed our child on my chest. She barely says it because according to her, she wants to say it when she means it. 

Ten years later, we decided to give it another try. This time, it was her turn to get pregnant. Luckily for us, the same donor that we chose for conceiving Aera still had samples in his bank. And then, that was when we had the twins. Yunho and Woojin. 

"See? I told you Yunho is like you in so many ways." She laughs because during this weekend I realized she is right. 

"Thank you for building such a wonderful home for me." I whisper, looking into her eyes and realizing how she's aged. We've both aged, but our hearts still remain the same. 

"Thank you for deciding to build this wonderful home with me." She smiled, leaned in, and kissed me on the forehead. 

Who would've thought that nervous-looking girl in 2019 would end up becoming such a big factor in my happiness in 2044? I never thought of that, but, life is funny that way, I guess. We all went through so much that I actually never thought I'd reach this point of my life, but I was mistaken. There she is, my happiness, sitting beside me. We may have changed through the years and we might have become more mellow now that we're older, but I am certain of one thing and that is my love for her will remain constant and that meeting a person like her in one out of a millionth chance. 

"I love you." She playfully whispered in my ear.

"I love you too." I whispered back, leaning in to give her a kiss on her lips. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for supporting BLAMELESS, it wasn't an easy journey to reach at this point since this is my first time writing fanfiction. But, I'm happy it all worked out in the end :)) 
> 
> Anyway, feel free to follow my twitter stan account @onlylookatcub. You can also tweet your reaction in twitter with the hashtag #BLAMELESSREACTS 
> 
> May you guys have a nice day!


End file.
